On the final day of group stage matches of the 2024 European Championship, numerous Manchester City players were in action.
Focusing on Belgium’s 0-0 draw against Ukraine, which saw them finish second in Group E, City duo Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku found themselves in the starting XI for the Red Devils.
During this game, one pundit shared what he noticed between the two City figures, specifically what the midfielder was telling the winger to do on the pitch.
Stephen Warnock shares what Kevin De Bruyne was telling Jeremy Doku to do in latest Belgium match
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live (via BBC Sport) during the first half of Belgium’s match against Ukraine, Stephen Warnock had this to say on the matter.
He said: “Jeremy Doku looks good on the ball when he drives across the pitch but he just allowed Ukraine to flood the edge of the penalty area there and the Belgium move just broke down.
“You can just see Kevin De Bruyne telling him to move the ball on quicker at times.”
Doku needs to listen to De Bruyne
Looking back over yesterday’s game, in the 77 minutes he was on the pitch, Doku had 64 touches of the ball in total.
He also made one key pass and successfully completed four of the seven dribbles he attempted.
Having lost possession 17 times in total throughout the game, this makes it easy to see why his City teammate was telling the 22-year-old to move the ball quicker.
Even though De Bruyne said earlier this month that Doku improved massively as he went through his debut season at the Etihad Stadium, it’s clear that the winger still has aspects of his game he can work on.
With Belgium set to take on France in the knockout round of the Euros, this will undoubtedly be a game where both City stars will have to be at their best if they want to get through to the next stage of the competition.