India vs. Belgium men's hockey statistical analysis: preview, head-to-head & prediction
The Indian men's hockey team will face world champions Belgium in the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympics.
Graham Reid's team, who are the most successful yet in Olympic history, faces a side that has risen over the last decade or so to challenge Australia's dominance at the top.
The result of one EuroHockey Nations Championship match in 2007 - which also doubled up a qualifier for the 2008 Beijing Games - was to change the contours of world hockey over the next decade and more.
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A strong German side that had won two back-to-back World Cups in 2002 and 2006 faced neighbors Belgium in a classification match for third and fourth place at Manchester.
The score was tied at 3-3 when Jerome Truyens scored a fourth for Belgium with seconds left on the clock - a result which booked a place for the Red Lions in the 2008 Beijing Games.
Although the Belgians finished ninth overall in Beijing, their Olympic reentry - coming as it did after a gap of 32 years - gradually transformed the side into a world-beating unit.
The Indians were not in Beijing after failing to qualify for the Olympic Games for the first time ever, but both sides were pooled together in London 2012, with the Belgians inflicting a 3-0 defeat on the eight-time gold medalists.
The Indians, under the tutelage of Roelant Oltmans, made it to the quarterfinals of Rio 2016 only to go down to eventual silver medalists Belgium by a 1-3 margin, thus dashing India's Olympic medal hopes.
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Yet again, the Men in Blue are up against World Champions Belgium in the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympics.
A 2-2 draw in the group stages of the 2018 World Cup followed by a win and a loss against Belgium in the 2020 FIH Hockey Pro League is a strong indicator that a humdinger is on the cards on Tuesday.
FIH Rankings:
Belgium - 2
India - 3
Olympic Head to Head Since 2008:
Belgium 2 - India 0
Prediction:
Expect a cagey chess game to be played out on the hockey pitch in the first quarter as both sides test each other.
The contest will grow into an absorbing spectacle as both sides settle down, with penalty corners expected to play a crucial role.
Scoring chances will be few as both teams will bolster their defensive line-ups, and capitalizing on circle entries will be vital.
Score Prediction: India 2 - Belgium 1