Kick-off: 1945, 24/03/2021
Stadium: Den Dreef
TV: Sky Sports
Belgium are obviously the team to beat in World Cup Group E and it will be a surprise if they don’t see off Wales on home turf in the opening round of fixtures.
However, the Dragons have been in good form themselves over the past 12 months, so the feeling is that this could be a good game to watch.
Let’s go with Evens for the Red Devils to prevail and over 2.5 goals for our first Belgium vs Wales prediction.
A Look At Belgium’s Betting Odds
Belgium have been knocking on the door for major honours in recent years and haven’t let the frustration of some near-misses stop them from pushing for success.
The Red Devils rattled off 10 straight wins in qualifying for Euro 2020, with a whopping 40 goals scored and only three conceded.
That was followed by a strong Nations League performance, topping their pool by five points from Denmark and England.
Roberto Martinez’s men were again the leading scorers among four A-level groups, averaging just under three per game.
Belgium, ranked the number one team in the world by FIFA, are packed with talent, much of it from the Premier League.
Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne, Leicester trio Youri Tielemans, Dennis Praet and Timothy Castagne, plus Crystal Palace strikers Christian Benteke and Michy Batshuayi are among those included.
Real Madrid’s former Chelsea forward Eden Hazard is missing with a persistent ankle problem which has already required two operations.
Romelu Lukaku is a doubt due to a coronavirus outbreak at his club Inter Milan, but Thibaut Courtois and Dries Mertens are other class acts.
More importantly, the Red Devils play with a huge amount of self-confidence and swagger, which makes them very hard to contain.
Looking at the Belgium vs Wales odds, we reckon 21/20 for the hosts to score in both halves is another solid option.
A Look At Wales’ Betting Odds
Wales will again have Rob Page as caretaker coach in the continued absence of Ryan Giggs but can still be happy with their recent efforts.
After qualifying for Euro 2020 as runners-up behind Croatia in Group E, the Dragons went on to win their B-level Nations League pool ahead of Finland, Republic of Ireland and Bulgaria.
Aaron Ramsey is once more absent after picking up a thigh injury at his club Juventus, but has started only three of his country’s last 20 games anyway.
However, Page will be buoyed by the form of Gareth Bale during his loan spell at Tottenham and the resurgence of Manchester United winger Daniel James.
Page said of the latter: “He has now got himself back into the team and worked really hard to get back in there. He looks a threat every time he plays.”
Tyler Roberts is a regular for Leeds and Kieffer Moore can boast 16 Championship goals for Cardiff, so there are plenty of options up front.
We feel the visitors can grab a consolation goal, yet fear they will ultimately prove game but outgunned.
Let’s finish off our Belgium vs Wales betting tips by taking 11/1 for a 3-1 home win.
Additional stats
Last result:
BELGIUM 4-2 Denmark – Youri Tielemans, Romelu Lukaku (2), Kevin De Bruyne
WALES 3-1 Finland – Harry Wilson, Daniel James, Kiefer Moore
Head-to-head: Wales 3-1 Belgium, Wales 1-0 Belgium, Belgium 0-0 Wales, Belgium 1-1 Wales, Wales 0-2 Belgium, Belgium 1-1 Wales
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