Football is not coming home after all, but England do have a chance to take a medal on this tournament. They’re playing against Belgium for bronze this Saturday afternoon at the Saint-Petersburg Stadium. So, which team is gonna win the third spot? It seems impossible to predict, but one thing is certain – it’s going to be a super entertaining duel!
Belgium
According to their manager, Roberto Martinez, Belgium players have performed great this whole tournament, including the game against France which then lost 1-0. He says that they lost it because France were simply better. What this means is that he and the whole squad are still very motivated and ready to get themselves a medal.
Before losing to France, Belgium had won every single game on this tournament in the regular 90 minutes. They beat Panama, Tunisia, Japan, Brazil, and even their next opponent, England. Furthermore, before the defeat in the semifinal, Belgium scored in every game. In fact, they scored a total of 14 goals at World Cup 2018.
That isn’t a big surprise because Belgium have fantastic players in the attack, starting with their top scorer, Romelu Lukaku. He’s scored a total of 4 goals so far and is still in the competition for the Golden Boot Award. He’s currently trailing behind Harry Kane, who has scored two goals more.
There’s also Eden Hazard, who’s considered to be their most talented player. Of course, we mustn’t forget Kevin De Bruyne who is definitely one of the best midfielders on the planet. With such players in the team, Belgium do seem capable of winning the bronze. But, it won’t be just up to them – England also have a saying in this match.
England
England players are surely very disappointed after losing to Croatia in the semifinal, but they need to lift their spirits up by Saturday if they want to go back home with their heads kept high. They did lose to Belgium in the group stage, but to be fair, they played with reserve squad. They weren’t too eager to win that match as that would’ve meant getting to a more difficult road to the semis.
But, now, they’re going to play with their best XI. Harry Kane, who didn’t feature in the previous game with Belgium, will definitely play on Saturday. And he is the man in whom England fans are putting their hopes. He’s currently the top scorer at the World Cup 2018 and he seems capable of scoring at least one more.
Of course, Kane isn’t the only England player worth mentioning. His teammate from Tottenham Hotspur, Dele Alli is a quality player who seems capable of both creating goal chances and scoring on his own. The same goes for Jesse Lingard, who’s been playing well this whole tournament.
Possible Lineups
Belgium:
Courtois – Alderweireld, Kompany, Verthongen – Chadli, Carasco, Witsel, Felaini, De Bruyne – Hazard, Lukaku
England:
Pickford – Stones, Maguire, Walker – Trippier, Young, Henderson, Alli, Lingard – Rashford, Kane
Belgium vs. England Match Prediction
Belgium seem closer to winning the third place at the World Cup, but this tournament has shown that anything can happen in football. Instead of betting on the outcome, my advice is to focus on goals. We should see a lot of them, probably on both ends. That said, my advice is to go with either BTS or Over 2.5 Goals, or combine the two.
Belgium vs. England Betting Tips
- BTS @1.53 (bet365)
- Over 2.5 Goals @1.60 (bet365)
- BTS & Over 2.5 Goals @1.91 (SkyBet)