Belgium manager Rudi Garcia took the risk of taking off Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku early in the second half against Senegal.
He also kept the two stars on the bench from the start against the United States. De Bruyne did not play a minute in the 4-1 round of 16 win.
Belgium scored six goals without its two best attack-minded players on the field, but now it is going up against a much tougher opponent in Spain.
Garcia could opt for the same strategy from the start so that he can attempt to clog the midfield with other players and slow down Spain’s tempo on the ball.
The Belgium manager could also put a fresher Doku and De Bruyne on the field from the start and challenge Spain’s back line on the counter.
Romelu Lukaku has come off the bench all tournament, so that decision is already made, but for De Bruyne and Doku, they could be real difference-makers from the start.
How Garcia approaches that decision could determine how competitive Belgium is over 90 minutes.
