World Cup 2022: Belgium vs Morocco latest score, goals and updates – Michy Batshuayi wastes chance

15 mins: This is already a better performance from Belgium. There’s an intensity and urgency to their play and they’re hunting the ball down as a unit.

Morocco are struggling to get out of their own half at the minute and the African side give away a free kick inside their final third.

The set piece is passed to Hazard who lays it off to De Bruyne allowing the midfielder to strike one from range and his shot gets deflected out for a corner.

12 mins: Great strength from Kevin De Bruyne. He’s given the ball and looks to carry it into the box from the right. Romain Saiss comes over to stop him but De Bruyne uses his strength to hold the defender at bay before drawing him into a foul.

The resultant free kick is lifted into the middle but doesn’t find a Belgium shirt and Morocco head it away.

9 mins: Looking at the replays Michy Batshuayi’s effort wasn’t going to hit the target but from the angle Yassine Bounou wouldn’t have known that. It was fantastic goalkeeping to get out quickly and narrow the gap to the near post.

Belgium’s corner is cleared away but the European side recover the ball. The start knocking it around the middle in the hopes of drawing Morocco out of position.

6 mins: Save! A lovely move from Belgium sees them sweep through midfield before feeding the ball over to Thorgan Hazard on the left wing.

He sends a perfectly weighted through ball into the box and matches the run of Michy Batshuayi who goes for goal but has his effort deflected wide but goalkeeper Yassine Bounou !

3 mins: Hakim Ziyech sparks Morocco into life with a driving run down the wing. He potentially fouls Timothy Castagne in the process but the referee lets play go and Ziyech’s cross comes straight into the waiting hands of Thibaut Courtois.

Belgium get the ball rolling and send it back to Toby Alderweireld. Morocco immediately drop off the European side and all the Belgians to calmly work their way up the pitch.

The teams make their way out onto the pitch ahead of kick off at 1pm. Morocco took a point from their first game against Croatia whilst Belgium defeated Canada.

Roberto Martinez’s men will reach the last 16 if they win today so expect Belgium to dictate play from the start.

It is the last chance for Belgium’s golden generation, but not their best chance. Not according to their captain, anyway. Belgium have spent much of the period since the last World Cup as officially the international game’s best team. Now they are ranked second on the planet, sandwiched by the South American superpowers of Brazil and Argentina.

But if Fifa’s figures suggest they are among the favourites, other numbers – principally their ages – suggest they are not. They were semi-finalists in Russia. That, Eden Hazard felt, was nearer their peak. “To be fair, I think we had a better chance to win four years ago,” the Belgium skipper said. “The team was better four years ago but still we have the quality to win games and competitions. We have a few guys who are a bit older.”

Hazard’s justification for each part of his analysis was instructive. He cited Belgium’s strengths, while being aware of the deficiencies that, logically, mean their finest opportunity has gone.

Belgium boss Roberto Martinez believes his side were not prepared for their opening match against Canada and is expecting a better performance today.

“We arrived at the first game with five (training sessions) and that means the team is not ready. We have seen teams start really well (in matches) but then they could not manage the game,” he said.

“You will see teams being ready only after three games. They are having to get ready while they are in the tournament and that is dangerous because it can cost you points.”

The fans are excited for this one. Kick off is at 1pm and Roberto Martinez will be hoping his Belgium side improve on their opening performance this afternoon.