After registering a rather comfortable victory in their tournament opener against Panama, Belgium return to action in the hope of securing their place in the last 16.
The Red Devils have underperformed quite astonishingly over the last few tournaments, despite having some of the most sought after players in their ranks. The 2018 World Cup is probably their last big chance of making a mark and they’d certainly hope to go deep into the tournament.
Captain Vincent Kompany and centre-back Thomas Vermaelen are again expected to miss out with groin and hamstring injuries respectively. As a result, Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen will continue operating at the heart of defence.
A lopsided match which could spring up a surprise, here are the three things to look forward to ahead of kick-off.
3. Tunisia hope for better luck
One more defeat will virtually end Tunisia’s run in the World Cup. So, today, against Belgium, it’s just about survival. This will be the fourth time that these two are butting heads, with each team winning once and sharing the spoils in the other clash.
Tunisia did really well containing England until the very end but their physical approach to the game drew some unwanted criticism. Against Belgium, expect them to keep the same blueprint and frustrate Eden Hazard and co.
Who knows, they may very well get a little more luck going their way this time around.
2. Belgium need to impose themselves
Against Panama, Belgium once again showed signs of indecisiveness in the first half. Their passes looked disjointed, defenders were all over the place and their stars looked indifferent at best.
In the second half, Eden Hazard’s stern words paid dividends as they came back to life in emphatic fashion. They scored a treble in the last 45, with their first two showing the abundance of class they possess.
Tonight, Roberto Martinez’s men won’t only be playing for the three points, they will be playing to prove a point. They’ve been serial underachievers for a long while now, this time they just can’t afford to.
1. Red Devils for the win
Belgium, with all their quality, will go up against a side that doesn’t know how to quit. This game promises to be something really special because despite winning their opener 3-0, the Belgian outfit didn’t look convincing, while Tunisia were hard done by a late Harry Kane winner in their tournament opener.
Martinez’s side are unbeaten in their last 10 World Cup group games, getting all three points in the previous five. Tunisia have failed to win their last 12 World Cup games since winning their first-ever match against Mexico in 1978 and sadly, we don’t see them breaking the streak tonight.
We predict a 2-0 win for Belgium.