Belgium vs Russia: Prediction, Odds and Betting Tips

The Belgians are hosting Russia in Saint Petersburg. This sounds funny, but it really is like that because these two nations clash in the most interesting match of Group B. The Red Devils are one of the top favorites for winning this championship and one of the best teams in the world. At the same time, on the other side, Russians want to go as deep far as possible, thus confirming that reaching the quarterfinals in the 2018 World Cup wasn’t because they hosted the event. 

Preview

Belgium

The Belgian national team is atop the FIFA rankings and has arguably the best generation in the history of their football. We are aware that this is a bold statement, but on the other hand, lots of people think the same way. 

Roberto Martinez’s side has nine consecutive matches without a defeat, posting seven wins and two draws during that stretch, not being able to defeat only the Czech Republic and Greece. However, victories against England, Iceland, Wales, Denmark, and Switzerland completely erase those two slips. 

This unit prefers to play fast-paced football, with lots of goals, and six of the last nine matches saw them netting at least twice. Romelu Lukaku, arguably the best striker in Europe at the moment, is Belgium’s top finisher and one of the main candidates for winning the Golden Boot award. Belgium will probably be missing in this match Kevin De Bruyne, which is probably the best midfield player in the world these days, due to a facial injury.

Russia

Zbornaya is a solid unit, and its biggest strength is chemistry and experience. These guys play together for a long time and know one another extremely well. A vast majority of the players are coming from the domestic teams, which only increases the cohesion of Stanislav Cherchesov’s side.

Russia’s games are usually interesting because they bring goals on both ends. Only one in the past five didn’t end like that, the most recent friendly international clash against Bulgaria, 1-0.

What might be problematic for them is the absence of a young and talented playmaker. Monaco’s forward Golovin is the closest thing they’ve got, but the 25-year-old simply isn’t fulfilling his potential. Once stepping on the big stage Golovin was one of the biggest talents in Europe but got stuck in the middle apparently. 

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Belgium vs Russia Possible Line-Up

Belgium: Courtois; Alderweireld, Denayer, Vertonghen; Castagne, Tielemans, Dendoncker, Carrasco; Mertens, Hazard; Lukaku

Russia: Shunin; Barinov, Dzhikiya, Semenov; Fernandes, Zobnin, Ozdoev, Kuzyaev; Miranchuk, Golovin; Dzyuba

Belgium vs Russia Head to Head

These two teams met in the qualifiers for this championship. In both matches, the Belgians were more than confident, routinely defeating Zbornaya. The first one in Belgium ended 3-1 for the home team, who was even better in the rematch played in Moscow, 1-4. 

Belgium vs Russia Pick

Zbornaya has a solid team, but to be honest, we really don’t believe that they might match Belgium’s power in any way. Especially because Russia has a bit shaky backline which often allows goals. Now, that is something the Red Devils won’t forgive, and as mentioned before, we all know their offensive potential. That is why we strongly believe in Belgium’s win here, even though they play on Russian soil. 

Our verdict: Belgium Wins

Belgium vs. Russia Odds