Player Focus: Group Impact May Earn Origi a Start & a Summer Switch

So much was made of Belgium's young squad before the World Cup that their dark horse status became somewhat defunct. However, despite being one of only 4 sides that didn't drop a point in the group stages, it's fair to say that the Red Devils haven't quite lived up to the hype as of yet.

Their success thus far has been built on a strong defence - going into their round of 16 clash with the US, Belgium are the only team yet to concede a goal from open play - while their impressive array of attacking talent haven't caught fire thus far.

One player who will be particularly disappointed with his World Cup campaign to date is Romelu Lukaku. With Christian Benteke cruelly ruled out through injury the Chelsea-owned forward was set to lead the line and flourish in doing so. It's been quite the opposite for the youngster unfortunately; of all forwards to start at least twice in the group stages only Vincent Aboubakar picked up a lower WhoScored rating (6.00).

One player’s misfortune tends to be another's opportunity though, and that could be the case for Divock Origi come Tuesday night. The Lille forward only turned 19 in April and had it not been for injury to the aforementioned Aston Villa striker, the teenager might not have been given the chance to impress on the international stage.

Impress he has though, enough to attract strong interest from Liverpool, with a deal of around £10m touted for a player that started just 12 Ligue 1 games last season. Indeed, the teen was even an unknown entity to a number of his teammates, with defender Toby Alderweireld admitting to never having seen Origi play prior to the tournament.

The league season started in superb fashion for the forward last August, with Origi scoring the only goal of the game in Lille's opener with Lorient. It took him just 13 minutes to score on his first start for a club he joined in 2010 from Genk, having also scored on his league debut as a substitute, earning his side a point in a 1-1 draw with Troyes the season previous. Origi, however, would start just two more times before the New Year for Lille, who instead opted for the more experienced pairing of Kalou and Roux up front.

It wasn't until coach Rene Girard switched to a 4-3-3 formation that Origi began to come into contention for a starting berth once more, with a run in the side during February and March that heralded 3 goals from 7 matches and an average rating of 7.18 in that spell. Origi would end the campaign with 5 league goals from 30 appearances, though 18 came as a substitute.

With his pace and quick feet an asset, as he has showcased this summer, Origi tended to play out wide for Lille, with just 3 of a dozen starts coming in a centre-forward position. The 19-year old has proven for the national side though that he can spearhead an attack, whilst using his skillset to run the channels and draw centre-backs out of position, allowing attacking midfielders to exploit the space.

Origi is, like compatriots Lukaku and Benteke, another tall figure up front, but he's less a target man and more a technician than the more senior pairing. He likes to engage defenders in one-on-one situations and is an effective dribbler, as shown by his WhoScored.com styles of play. There's a self-belief there that has meant he has not been overawed by the magnitude of the occasion that is a World Cup.

He may have been restricted to 3 substitute appearances thus far but has proven during his time on the pitch that he can have a real impact. All four of Belgium's goals in the group stages came when Origi was on the pitch - with one netted by the youngster himself - and that much has been no coincidence. A rating of 6.96 from WhoScored.com over his 3 appearances may seem modest but of all 66 players to make more than one appearance from the bench in the group stages only Memphis Depay scored higher.

Moreover, of all players to make more than two group stage appearances only three completed a dribble more often (every 15.8 minutes) - Messi and compatriot Hazard among them - and only two mustered a shot at goal more often (again, every 15.8 mins). Having such a positive effect and the willingness to expose the weary legs of opposition defenders could yet earn Origi what would have been a wildly unlikely start in the knockout stages of the World Cup prior to the tournament.

If Liverpool choose not to act on their interest and look elsewhere instead it will be intriguing to see just where Divock Origi ends up. Lille fans will certainly be hoping he stays put despite his performances this summer having raised his profile and, perhaps more pertinently, his price-tag significantly.

How impressed have you been with Origi's impact for Belgium at the World Cup? Let us know in the comments below