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2018 World Cup semi-finalists begin their qualifying campaign with a match against Wales. The Red Devils will be seeking some revenge after being knocked out by The Dragons in Euro 2016 quarterfinals.
Roberto Martinez’s Belgium will begin their campaign with a tie against Wales. The Red Devils will be looking to make it out of their qualification group without much difficulty having been drawn against Estonia, Belarus, Czech Republic, and Wales.
Belgium will be without their star Eden Hazard. The Real Madrid wing-man will miss the whole international break due to yet another battle with injury. The 30-year-old has been sidelined more often than not since joining Los Blancos from Chelsea in 2019.
Nevertheless, Martinez still has a talented pool of players to pick from. Inter Milan’s Romelu Lukaku will be the one he relies upon for goals. The striker has scored 19 goals in Italy during the current campaign. He is also the top scorer for the national team, with 57 goals in 89 games.
Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne could be the one to provide the bright spark in this match. Wales also need to be wary of the striker Dries Mertens, who scored twice for Napoli in their latest Serie A win over Roma, bringing his total goal tally in Italy to 100. If selected, Mertens will make his 95th appearance for the Red Devils. Meanwhile, first-time call-ups Albert Sambi Lokonga and Thomas Kaminski could make their debut for their country.
Belgium will be well aware of the threat Wales poses. Ryan Giggs’ team shocked their opponents in the quarter-finals of Euro 2016 when they came back from a goal down to win 3-1. Ashley Williams, Hal Robson-Kanu, and Sam Vokes were the scorers that night.
Neither Williams nor Vokes has been called up to the senior squad for the upcoming international window. However, Wales do have several talented players to call upon in times of need. Captain Gareth Bale is the obvious danger-man, while the speed of Daniel James and Rabbi Matondo could also prove to be a potent weapon against Belgium.
Key Players
Romelu Lukaku: It won’t be a surprise if Belgium continue to rely upon Lukaku to provide them with goals, especially since captain Eden Hazard has been ruled out due to injury. The ex-Manchester United forward will look to extend his fine form over to his national side as well, having scored the most league goals for Inter Milan this season. Lukaku will make his 90th start if selected by Martinez, while he will be on the lookout for his 58th international goal.
Kevin De Bruyne: Wales will look to be stubborn in defence against the much stronger opposition. As such, De Bruyne could play the role of lock-picker. The Manchester City man is widely considered to be among the best players on the planet and will look to live up to that reputation. Wales will also have to be alert from his set-pieces, with Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen always a threat in the air.
Gareth Bale: In the news for the wrong reasons lately, Wales will nevertheless depend upon Bale to provide that little bit of magic. The Real Madrid man, currently on loan at his former club Tottenham, has found his feet recently. He will look to continue his good run of form and hurt the side currently ranked as the best in the world.
Daniel James: The Manchester United man is a potent weapon in attack, especially when he unleashes his speed and leaves his opponents in the dust. Belgium could struggle to deal with James’ raw pace, especially with ageing defenders currently making up the central defence. James, meanwhile, will be looking to score his fourth goal in what could be his 18th appearance for the national team.
Prediction
Belgium’s ‘golden generation’ were stunned by Wales in their encounter during Euros. However, they have come a long way since then. The team has better chemistry, and key players are starting to step up in times of need. It is no surprise that they are currently the highest-ranked team in the world.
Wales do have some exciting talent to pick from for this game. Daniel James, Rabbi Matondo, and Bale are joined by promising youngsters Ethan Ampadu and Harry Wilson. However, a lack of experience could be decisive.
Both Belgium and Wales will fancy their chances of getting out of Group E. Czech Republic appear to be the only other contenders to deal with. However, one would back Belgium to begin their qualification campaign with a win against Wales on the night.
