Wales VS Belgium Match Prediction
- 2016-07-01
- 19:00:00
Belgium will win this match.
Belgium have won five of previous 12 meetings between the sides, but Gareth Bale will likely be licking his lips at the prospect of coming up against the Red Devils again. Bale - who scored in every game in the group stage - was on target the last time these two sides met, in qualifying for this tournament, with Belgium failing to score in both those matches against Chris Coleman's side.
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Belgium may take confidence from their win over Hungary, but the scoreline could have been very different as Hungary were pressing hard for an equaliser before Eden Hazard stepped up to take the game away. Wales are also reliant on a star forward, Gareth Bale, but the team spirit in their ranks seems a lot stronger.
Belgium thrive when given time and space on the ball, so Wales will likely sit deep and play on the break, which could make this a frustrating game with so much attacking talent on the pitch.
Wales are unlikely to leave as many gaps at the back as Hungary, so this could be a tight, close match decided by a single goal. Wales have been made the outsiders and they can be backed at around 9/2 to win in 90 minutes, with Belgium offered at 3/4 and the draw at 5/2 for this game.
Most games at Euro 2016 have seen under 2.5 goals, which is available at 4/6 here, while Eden Hazard to score any time is a very tempting 14/5. Odds of 9/5 on 0-1 goals being scored in the game also stand out as one of the best bets for this quarter-final, which is being held in Lille.
Few would have backed Wales to reach the quarter-finals of Euro 2016, but a 1-0 win over Northern Ireland saw them through to the last-eight, with Gareth Bale again key, as his cross was turned into his own net by defender Gareth McAuley.
Coach Chris Coleman is unlikely to make many changes to his starting line-up for this match, with Sam Vokes expected to lead the line for the third game in a row, unless Hal Robson-Kanu is preferred. Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen are both having excellent tournaments in Wales' defence.
Hennessey, Gunter, Chester, Williams, Davies, Taylor, Allen, Ledley, Ramsey, Bale, Vokes.
A 4-0 win over Hungary on Sunday did not tell the whole story, with Belgium enduring an oddly nervy period before Eden Hazard's brilliance dragged them into the quarter-finals. Hazard produced an assist and then a superb solo goal within three minutes and if Belgium are to be considered serious contenders, he will have to maintain that fine form in this game.
Marc Wilmots is forced into at least one change as Thomas Vermaelen is suspended, which could see Jason Denayer come into the side. Michy Batshuayi scored with his first touch of the tournament against Hungary and might have earned a start in place of Romelu Lukaku too.
Courtois, Meunier, Alderweireld, Denayer, Vertonghen, Nainggolan, Witsel, Carrasco, De Bruyne, Hazard, Lukaku.