Belgium is the clear favorite in the confrontation with Iceland, its odds for victory being below 1.20.
However, we should not expect a show offered by Roberto Martinez’s students for at least two reasons, which I will present below.
He made his debut in this competition, a 2-0 victory in Denmark. Denayer and Mertens were the scorers of the two goals, in a match in which the Danes were better in possession and the number of corners.
Through this result he reached 11 consecutive victories and approaches with an excellent morale the meeting with Iceland. This is the reason why Roberto Martinez announced many changes in the starting team compared to the match in Copenhagen.
Eden Hazard, Meunier, Dendoncker and Praet are announced as starters, while Leandro Trossard, Yari Verschaeren and Jeremy Doku could make their national team debuts.
Alderveireld and Thorgan Hazard will remain on the bench with Denmark.
It is still an awkward team, proof that England needed a penalty in the 90 + 1 minute to score in Halldorsson’s goal.
What a bad luck, everything was going well and fans were enjoining a lot, the goal of Bjarnason felt terrible to local fans, they were afraid the worst.
Defensive organization is without a doubt the strength of Erik Hamren’s team. In the 6 games played in the last year he received only two goals. It is true that he did not impress in the attack, having on average a goal scored per game.
The first 11 will be very close to the one in the match with England, Missing the central defender Ingason who received a red card, he will be replaced by Eyjolfsson.
▪️The two protagonists also met in the previous edition of the League of Nations.
▪️Belgium always prevailed on the score, without conceding a goal. In the match in Brussels, the goals came in the second half, after a balanced first half.
▪️Belgium (3-4-3): Mignolet – Dendoncker, Denayer, Vertonghen – Meunier, Tielemans, Praet, Castagne – E. Hazard, R. Lukaku, Trossard.
▪️Iceland (4-4-2): Halldorsson – Hermannsson, Arnason, Eyjolfsson, Magnusson – Sigurdsson, Bjarnason, Palsson, Traustason – Gudmundsson, Bodvarsson.
Belgium will make many changes in all compartments to allow as many players as possible to play for the national team.
But the game relations will suffer, so I expect a first half with a white score or at most a goal scored.
Iceland is very good on defense and risks very little when it has the ball. Most likely the guests will play defensively and will rarely come out of their own half, at least in the first half.
Belgium cannot afford to lose points at home to Iceland if it wants to win a group that will fight for supremacy with England.
That’s why I expect the Belgians to put pressure on the second half and introduce the important players to take into account their 3 points.
So, I bet on a much more lively second half, with more goals than in the first 45 minutes.
Prediction Today: Half with most goals: 2nd half
Odds: 1.93
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