The Belgium manager was disappointed by the display from the Chelsea star and Reds striker in the 1-0 victory.
Belgium boss Marc Wilmots has criticised the performance of Belgium Premier League stars Christian Benteke and Chelsea’s Eden Hazard in their recent 1-0 win over Cyprus, in comments appearing in the Daily Post.
Benteke started the match in Nicosia, but was withdrawn at half time and replaced by fellow Liverpool forward Divock Origi, and Wilmots certainly had some choice comments to make about some of his players.
When asked after the match why he took Benteke off, Wilmots was quoted by the Daily Post as saying the striker had only given “half a performance” while he was on the pitch, instead praising substitutes Origi and Dries Mertens.
“The contribution of Origi and Mertens in the second half was important, because I wanted quick combinations,” he added. “As a result, in the last half hour we were often dangerous.”
Wilmots also laid into last season’s Premier League top player Hazard, even though the Chelsea man scored the winner late on.
“He was the worst tonight,” the Belgium manager said.
“I thought about substituting him, but in the last 10 minutes he always has the ability to do that. At the World Cup, this was the case.
“I obviously expect more from him, but he will grow as the season progresses.”
Benteke is one of Liverpool’s most expensing signings having joined from Aston Villa this summer for a fee claimed by BBC Sport to be £32.5 million.
The 24-year-old managed to open his goalscoring account for the Reds when he scored the sole goal in the club’s second match of the season against Bournemouth, a strike that was contested by the Cherries regarding whether it should have stood.
The forward’s goalscoring for his country has been disappointing in the last couple of years, having scored just once since May 2013, in the reverse fixture against Cyprus earlier this year when Belgium won 5-0 at home.
His club teammate Origi has emerged on the international scene as an alternative to the former Villa man, becoming a vital option during last summer’s World Cup when Benteke was injured. The 20-year-old is yet to make his Reds debut, remaining on the bench in each of Liverpool’s four Premier League matches so far, but he could well be involved at Old Trafford when Brendan Rodgers takes his team to face Manchester United at the weekend, especially given the game changing praise from Wilmots.
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