WC Qualifiers: Belgium vs Wales Preview, Odds, Prediction

Belgium awaits Wales in one of the most interesting matchups this Wednesday. The two sides open their World Cup qualifiers at King Baudouin stadium in Brussels, dreaming of reaching the biggest football competition next year in Qatar. Belgium won third place at the previous edition in Russia, while on the other side, Wales hasn’t seen the World Cup since 1958. Even though they had some good teams and generations, the Dragons couldn’t pass the filter and enter the elite. They are massive underdogs in this event, which is reasonable having in mind Belgium’s form. Take five minutes of your time to check out our preview and see some valuable data.

Preview

Belgium (-700) didn’t lose in the last 29 home events, which is an achievement worth mentioning. Overall when looking at their most recent results, over the previous 10 matches, this side won eight, posting one draw and one loss in the meantime.

In each of those contests, they’ve scored, while on the other side kept their net intact just twice. But that is not a problem for Roberto Martinez’s side because they have one of the most potent midfield in the world, with Kevin de Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Dries Mertens etc. Plus, the Red Devils have Romelu Lukaku up front, and Inter’s striker has been ruthless in the last year.

In the past eight competitive matches on home soil, Belgium didn’t score three or more goals on just one occasion. That is a pretty good description of their incredible power and offensive talent. Though with all the injuries and absences, they might experience some problems here.

Wales (+1100) is unbeaten in the last five games and has just one loss over the previous 14 matches, one of the best sequences in the Dragons’ history. With experienced Gareth Bale, a few older players, and several extremely talented youngsters, Wales could be one of the surprises of the whole qualifiers.

Those youngsters are led by Daniel James from Manchester United, Neco Williams from Liverpool, Joe Rodon from the Spurs, etc, and the names of their club are clearly suggesting that this crew has enormous potential. The majority of them are defenders, which is no wonder why this unit has a rock-solid defense,

Over the past 10 games, Wales kept clean sheets on 8 occasions, which is a solid success, you have to admit, regardless of the rivals.

Latest News

Hazard and Witsel are out for Belgium, the same as Lukaku, which might be a problem for the Red Devils.

Wales is without their head coach Ryan Giggs who is under investigation for alleged assault. Aaron Ramsey is out, too, due to an injury the same as Ben Davies.

Head to Head Games

Wales earned its biggest success on the international stage in 2016, once they defeated Belgium in the quarterfinals, 3-1. Nainggolan scored the opening goal, but Williams, Robson-Kanu, and Vokes swept the Red Devils in the remaining part of the game.

Prediction

The home team will win, but there won’t be too many goals. Wales will come to defend and wait for the counterattacks, and such an approach will most likely decrease the efficiency. So besides the hosts’ win, go with under 2.5 goals as well.