FIFA World Cup
Belgium vs England Preview Third And Fourth Place
Saint Petersburg, Russia – The World Cup’s third place match is where no team would want to play in, since they just missed out on the final. However, that’s exactly where Belgium and England find themselves, facing each other yet again. Both teams are reeling after Semi-Final defeats to France and Croatia respectively, with one final chance to prove themselves on the big stage. It may not be coming home for the Three Lions, but this is certainly another chance for their young squad to prove their mettle. Though, they face sturdy opposition from the Red Devils’ “Golden Generation” in what proves to be yet another thrilling encounter.
A 1-0 defeat to France sees Roberto Martinez’s side succumb to their second World Cup Third Place Play-Off. The first a 4-2 loss to France in 1986. The Spanish manager was full of praise for his squad and had this to say during his Post-Match interview, “We’ve got one game left. I want to make sure that we finish on a real high. These players don’t deserve to leave the tournament with a bad feeling or a bad taste.”
Gareth Southgate’s side would be bitterly disappointed with how their 2-1 loss with Croatia panned out, missing valuable chances and going down to 10 men in the final 10 minutes of E.T. after a Kieran Trippier injury. Yet the Englishman was filled with belief in his team and said this after the Semi-Final, “Over the next few days we’ll reflect on the huge progress that has been made and the reaction of our fans to the players. This was so different to what they experienced two years ago. However, they mustn’t lose sight of that, because they’ve come an incredible way in a very short period of time”.
Head to Head:
Fortune favors the Brits, having won 15 of their last 22 encounters. Belgium on the other hand, have only managed to win a measly 3 of those games, though the most recent one came during their Group G encounter, a few weeks back.
Team News:
England’s Kieran Trippier seems unlikely to start having picked up a knock in the second half of E.T. against Croatia. Trent Alexander-Arnold could be called in as a replacement. Danny Rose could start ahead of Ashley Young after his impressive cameo during the Semi-Final.
Belgium’s Thomas Meunier will most likely return after missing the Semi-Final match against France due to suspension.
Ones to Watch:
Keep an eye out for both teams’ center forwards. England’s Harry Kane (six goals). On the other hand, Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku (four goals) will be having a duel of their own for the Golden Boot.
Eden Hazard was arguably Belgium’s best player on the pitch against France and could prove a real threat against England.
Potential Lineups:
England (3-5-2): Jordan Pickford, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Kyle Walker, Danny Rose, Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jesse Lingard, Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane (C).
Belgium (3-4-3): Thibaut Courtois, Toby Alderweireld, Vincent Kompany, Jan Vertonghen, Thomas Meunier, Marouane Fellani, Axel Witsel, Nacer Chadli, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard (C).
Predicted Score:
Both teams come into this match disheartened by their Semi-Final result and eager to leave this World Cup with their heads held high. Kane and Lukaku will have their shooting boots on. More over, will be competing till the very end for the Golden Boot. This, combined with the fact that both Belgium and England pose serious attacking threats, paves the way for a high scoring game. The Three Lions side will miss the crossing abilities of Kieran Trippier though, and therefore lose some of their potency in set pieces. The Belgians also did have an extra day’s rest and hence will be less fatigued, which could prove to be the deciding factor.
PREDICTION: BELGIUM 3-2 ENGLAND (A.E.T.)
