5 biggest fixtures to look forward to during the international break
We have entered the first international break of 2019 as club football takes a backseat for the time being, with the national sides taking the centre stage.
FIFA international breaks offer confederations the chance to prosecute their qualifiers, while also providing those without official fixtures the opportunity to test themselves in friendly matches.
The glitz and glamour associated with club football mean that fans are more attuned to following club fixtures, with international breaks being seen as nothing more than unwelcomed distractions. Hence, most football followers look on with boredom and countdown the return of club football.
Differences in size and stature of most footballing countries, especially on the European scene also lends credence to this view, as most European qualifiers are essentially nothing but dead rubbers, offering the bigger countries and players a chance to pad up their stats.
However, this viewpoint is not without its flaws as the international breaks sometimes serve us wonderful and entertaining fixtures. In this piece, we shall be taking a look at five must-watch matches during this international break.
#5 Belgium vs Russia
UEFA EURO Qualifiers (Group I)
21-03-2019
Belgium and Russia clash in what is sure to be one of the most entertaining fixtures during the first round of the EURO 2020 Qualifiers.
The Red Devils head into the tie as not just the favourites in their group, but also one of the favourites for the trophy itself next year, owing to the vast number of world-class players at their disposal.
Russia for their part would be confident of pulling a few scalps, buoyed on by their incredible performance at the last World Cup hosted on home soil.
For all the quality available to Belgium, they failed to make it to the semi-final of the first ever Nations League. They would still be hurting from this, and this clash could offer them an opportunity to make amends.