By Dan Carter
Amadou Onana was left content with his side’s performance as the Everton midfielder shined as he played the full 90 minutes as Belgium defeated Azerbaijan to top Group F.
The Red Devils were far from their best in Baku on Saturday (9 September) but a slightly lucky goal from Yannick Carrasco saw them scrape through and leapfrog above Austria in the European Championship qualifying group on goal difference.
Onana returned to international action having missed Belgium’s last matches in June but put in an assured performance alongside Youri Tielemans and Leandro Trossard. The Everton midfielder was pleased with the result even if the performance left a bit to be desired.
Speaking following the game with SudInfo (Sunday 10 September) he said: “It was a difficult match on a complicated field. People expect you to win easily but they are never easy matches on the go. Azerbaijan is a respectable opponent who has caused us problems.
“The goal was to come here and take the three points and the goal is achieved. The most important thing is victory. I think we managed the midfield well. We combined well with the defence and tried to find the attackers between the lines.”
Winning ugly
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Onana has been one of the brightest sparks in what has been an otherwise dingy time at Goodison Park and his performances for his national team should give Toffees’ fans a boost as he is showing he can be part of the side that finds a way to win even when they’re not at their best.
The majority of Belgium’s attacking football came through the 22-year-old, who completed 44 passes in Baku, three tackles and 10 duels, all more than any other player on either side managed.
14 of his passes were played into the final third, with Onana linking up well with former Toffee Romelu Lukaku throughout the game, while on what was a difficult pitch to maintain possession he made 11 ball recoveries.
While it is expected that the Belgium international should shine against a team of Azerbaijan’s quality, it should give Everton fans great comfort that they have such a talent at their disposal even during a bleak time for Sean Dyche’s side.
Hopefully, Onana can stay fit throughout the entire season and impress for both Everton and Belgium as he could well be crucial to either team having a successful campaign.
In other Everton news, Andy Gray has shot down the suggestion that Graham Potter should replace Sean Dyche