Tokyo 2020 Preview: Great Britain v Belgium (M)

Great Britain’s men will be looking to rise in the Pool B standings with victory in their next match at the Tokyo Olympics.

They’ll come up against a Belgium side that are in sensational form and currently sit top of the Pool.

When is the match being played?

The sides meet on Friday 30 July at 13:15 BST.

How can I follow the game?

The game will be streamed live on Discovery+ and potentially shown on BBC iPlayer/Red Button as well – we will know more information closer to pushback. You can also keep up to date with live text updates on our dedicated Match Centre by clicking here. 

How have the teams fared at Tokyo 2020 so far?

Both sides have already secured their place in the quarter-finals, Belgium guaranteeing top spot having taken four straight victories. With the most goals scored (24) and fewest conceded (7) in the entire men’s hockey competition, Belgium looks like one of the teams to beat.

Great Britain booked their place in the knockout stage with a dramatic comeback against The Netherlands in their previous match with a 2-2 tie.

How do the teams match up in their Olympic history?

The sides have previously met on four occasions at the Olympics, Great Britain holding the upper hand with two victories compared to Belgium’s one, the sides drawing on one occasion.

They first met way back in 1920 when GB took an emphatic 12-1 victory on the way to gold – Belgium would go on to take bronze, which is one of only two medals they’ve ever claimed in 14 Olympic appearances.

GB were again victorious in 1952 as a narrow 1-0 victory eliminated Belgium from the competition, the teams then drawing eight years later at Rome 1960.

Nearly sixty years on, the most recent meeting between the two saw Belgium come out on top with a 4-1 victory at Rio 2016.

What does the recent history look like?

The two have met eight times during this Olympic cycle, Belgium coming out on top with six victories during that period of time and GB taking just the one win.

Recent meetings between the sides have largely been test matches, though Belgium have been victorious of all four matches that have occurred during the FIH Hockey Pro League between 2019-2020.

Though Belgium did record 3-2 and 2-1 victories in Brussels in October/November 2020 during their most recent meetings, the matches were incredibly close and very competitive.

Thank you to The Hockey Museum for their help in sourcing these stats.