England vs Belgium Prediction and Preview
Our prediction and preview for the upcoming international friendly between England and Belgium at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday is our focus.
Quick Facts: England Vs Belgium Stats
England is gearing up for their second game at Wembley after suffering a 1-0 loss to Brazil on Saturday. The team is determined to bounce back and regain their footing. Their 20-game unbeaten streak at Wembley in all competitions came to an end due to Endrick's late goal. However, the Three Lions have a strong track record and have only lost consecutive matches at the national stadium in November 2013 against Chile and Germany.
The loss that England experienced on Saturday stopped their winning streak of 12 games in friendly matches. If they lose again on Tuesday, it will be the first time since March/June 2017 when they last lost consecutive friendly matches against Germany and France.
The Belgian team goes into this game without having lost for twelve matches in a row, since their defeat against Morocco (2-0) in the 2022 World Cup. Out of these twelve games, they have won eight, although they only managed a draw (0-0) against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin last weekend. During the match, there were very few shots that hit their mark, with Belgium struggling to create good opportunities and scoring an expected goal value of just 0.45 (xG).
In this match, Romelu Lukaku will be eager to increase his 83 goals for the Belgium team. He is currently only one goal behind Ferenc Puskás, a famous player from Hungary who has scored 84 goals. At the European level, only Cristiano Ronaldo has scored more international goals for a European nation with a total of 128 goals.
After England's loss to Brazil, it was announced that Harry Maguire, Sam Johnstone, and Kyle Walker would be sitting out. During the game at Wembley, the Manchester City defender had to leave the field due to an injury. Maguire was then replaced during the second half. Johnstone unfortunately won't be able to play for the remainder of the 2023-2024 Premier League season because of an elbow injury.
The Bayern Munich player and England captain, Harry Kane, was unable to play in the match against Brazil and will also miss Tuesday's game. A few other players who are regulars for England will also not be participating in this international window. This list includes Bukayo Saka, Jack Grealish, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Luke Shaw.
Belgium won't have some key players on their team, as their captain Kevin De Bruyne and experienced goalie Thibaut Courtois won't be able to play due to their injuries.
England And Belgium Comparison
In recent times, England has had a rough patch against Belgium, losing three out of their last four games (winning just one). This is in stark contrast to their earlier encounters, where they recorded only one loss in their first 21 games played against each other (winning 15, and 5 games ending in a draw) spanning from 1921 to 2012.
When Belgium and England last faced off, it was during the UEFA Nations League in November 2020. Belgium managed to score two goals, thanks to Youri Tielemans and Dries Mertens. The Red Devils won the match with a score of 2-0. During an earlier match in the same tournament, England also won against Belgium with a score of 2-1. This time, the winning goals were made by Marcus Rashford and Mason Mount at Wembley. In the last four encounters, England has only managed to score two goals against Belgium.
England and Belgium last played against each other in a non-competitive match on June 2012. During the game, Danny Welbeck scored the only goal in the first half, resulting in a 1-0 victory for Roy Hodgson's team at Wembley prior to the Euro 2012 tournament.
Predicting England Vs Belgium
It is expected that England will make a strong comeback after losing to Brazil last Saturday and win this friendly match against the European rivals, Belgium. According to pre-match simulations by Opta supercomputer, the English team has an edge with a 52.8% chance of winning as compared to Belgium's success rate of only one out of five.
"England And Belgium Teams: Who Will Come Out On Top?"
In the English team, there are many talented players. Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, James Trafford, Rico Lewis, John Stones, Ben Chilwell, Joe Gomez, Lewis Dunk, Ezri Konsa, Jarrad Branthwaite, Jordan Henderson, Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, Conor Gallagher, James Maddison, Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford, Phil Foden, Ollie Watkins, Jarrod Bowen, Cole Palmer, Ivan Toney, and Anthony Gordon are some of them. These players have different positions and skills that make them valuable for the team.
As the leader of the England national football team, Gareth Southgate takes on the responsibility of guiding his players towards success on the field. His role as head coach requires him to develop strategies and tactics that will enable his team to triumph over opponents in international competitions. With his experience as a former player and coach, Southgate is well-equipped to lead his team towards victory, and he is committed to instilling a winning mentality in his players. Through his leadership and guidance, the England football team is poised to achieve great things under his direction.
In Belgium, there are many talented football players such as Koen Casteels, Thomas Kaminski, and Matz Sels. Other notable players are Arnaud Bodart, Zeno Debast, and Arthur Theate. Wout Faes and Jan Vertonghen are also great players. Thomas Meunier, Olivier Deman, and Timothy Castagne are also recognized for their skills on the field. Additionally, Koni De Winter, Amadou Onana, and Youri Tielemans are important players for Belgium. Charles De Ketelaere, Orel Mangala, and Arthur Vermeeren are also great players. Aster Vranckx, Jérémy Doku, and Loïs Openda are names to watch out for. Romelu Lukaku, Leandro Trossard, Dodi Lukébakio, Johan Bakayoko, and Michy Batshuayi are all exceptional players as well.
The commander of the team: Domenico Tedesco
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