ENG vs BEL Preview: It will be a clash of titans when second-placed England crosses swords with table-toppers Belgium. Belgium has been in fine form in the Nation’s League that saw them uproot Denmark and Iceland. They held unprecedented sway against the Icelanders as they posted a resonating 5-1 victory. Axel Witsel, Michy Batshuayi, Dries Mertens, and Jeremy Doku led the pack or the Belgian beats.
However, their mid-week friendly campaign didn’t go as planned as a late spot-kick from Franck Kessie saved the blushes for Ivory Coast as the two nations played out a 1-1 affair.
England on the contrary had a rocky start to the tournament despite a victory over Iceland. Kyle Walker was given marching orders on the 70th minute and a depleted English side had to battle it out to the very end to wring out a match-saving penalty.
They failed to live up to their billing in the following encounter against Denmark as it panned out as a lackadaisical goalless affair. However, their mi-week-friendly adventure against Ryan Giggs’ Wales went well as they dominated the proceedings drowning a technically undercooked side with three goals. This will be a battle of a rocky defence from the Three Lions against a well-mobilised attacking unit of Belgium.
Match details:
England vs Belgium
9:30 PM IST
ENG vs BEL: Head to head:
In the last three encounters between these two sides, Belgium has savoured the sway as they managed to wring out two comfortable victories against the English squad in the World Cup. The most recently concluded encounter between these two squads have seen Begoum coming up trumps, thanks to strikes from Eden Hazard and Thomas Meunier.
ENG vs BEL Probable Teams:
England:
Pickford; Gomez, Maguire, Dier; Alexander-Arnold, Rice, Henderson, Trippier; Sancho, Kane, Rashford
Belgium:
Mignolet; Alderweireld, Denayer, Vertonghen; Meunier, De Bruyne, Witsel, Castagne; Doku, Lukaku, Trossard
Picks to consider:
Romelu Lukaku will be the man to watch out for Belgium, considering his towering stature and his recent transformation that has seen a paradigm shift in his game.
Marcus Rashford will be another big name for this game despite slumping down to Tottenham Hotspur in the other weekend. He is a creative attacker but possesses a variety of weapons up his sleeve to unsettle the opposition.
ENG vs BEL Captaincy Choices:
1. Harry Kane: In Spurs’ resurgent triumph against Manchester, Harry Kane poked two goals and strung a couple of assists that underlines the fact that why he is England’s priceless gem.
2. Leandro Trossard: He is an exquisite finisher and his goal-scoring instincts are menacing. The best part about him is his ability to reach the right place at the right time. He will be a big man to watch out for the captaincy hunt.
ENG vs BEL Fantasy Prediction:
Belgium will be considered the favourites to win this game considering England’s woeful showdown in the Nation’s League. However, if the dup of Rashford and Kane can work out some magic, the conclusion may just be upturned.
