Leandro Trossard was on target for Belgium as the Red Devils beat Wales 4-2 in a thriller in Cardiff.
Belgium returned to winning ways in style, overcoming Wales after going behind after just eight minutes.
Two Kevin De Bruyne penalties, a goal from Thomas Meunier and a tidy finish from Trossard sealed the victory for Rudi Garcia’s side.
Before the game, Garcia defended his decision to select Trossard in his starting XI, and against Wales, the manager stuck by his preference, a call that paid off.
Belgian media react as Leandro Trossard scores in Belgium’s win over Wales
Trossard played as a false nine against North Macedonia, which didn’t go as planned for the Arsenal star.
Against Wales, Garcia altered the 30-year-old’s position, something the Belgium boss was applauded for.
Sudinfo gave Trossard a 7/10 match rating, noting how much better the forward is when playing on the wing.
“His wing change had the gift of disrupting the Welsh organisation.”
| Leandro Trossard vs Wales |
| 1 goal |
| 32 touches |
| 79% pass success |
| 2 shots |
| 1 successful dribble |
| 4 recoveries |
| 1 clearance |
| 2 ground duels won |
Walfoot went even further, stating that Trossard had one of his best-ever games in a Belgium shirt.
“One of his best matches for the national team. A lot of danger brought, and an absolutely brilliant cross that led to Meunier’s 1-2.
“On the wing, he’s clearly better than in the centre, there’s no doubt about it. Author of a defensive error on the 2-3, quickly repaired with the 2-4 at the very end of the match.”
Trossard’s wing play was also celebrated by DHnet, who applauded how good the Arsenal man’s crossing was.
“The man with the formidable cross to Doku, leading to 1-2. He won the penalty on 1-3 and scored 2-4 after being pushed on 2-3.”
Arsenal influence spotted in Trossard’s game
It was a performance that silenced critics for Trossard in the Belgium national team, but there was one element of the display that truly had the media purring.
As transcribed by RTBF Actus, Belgian coach and pundit Felice Mazzu dissected how impressive Trossard’s defensive work was against Wales.
“When you look at the profile of the wingers, apart from the injured Saelemaekers, his selection is completely legitimate just for his defensive work,” Mazzu explained.
“He’s used to doing it, he knows how to defend because at Arsenal, if you don’t defend, you don’t play. Tonight, during each of the opponent’s attacks, he positioned himself inside the play at the heart of the Belgian defensive block.
“This allowed him to close down angles for shots and strikes and, above all, to be positioned to recover balls, and that is extremely important for the team.”
Thanks to the strict instructions Trossard is given by Mikel Arteta, the forward’s role in the national team is now clearer than ever.
It was a delightful way for the winger to end the international break, as he now readies himself to return to Colney.
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