After dropping their 1st match to Italy 2-0, Belgium was under a lot of pressure to secure all 3 points vs Ireland. The Belgian squad was definitely disappointed with both their performance and the result against the Azzurri. Belgium entered today's game as heavy favourites. The Belgian team is the most expensive squad ever assembled for a European tournament. On their side, the Irish do not have the big names that Belgium has but they have their boisterous fans and the confidence carried over from their impressive 1-1 draw vs Sweden.
For Belgium's 2nd game, Ciman fell victim to Marc Wilmots' tinkering.