Belgium vs Canada Match Analysis & Prediction
23/11/2022 10:00 pm
Canada will be playing their first World Cup game in 36 years when they take on Belgium at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium on Wednesday.
On the other hand, this represents Belgium’s final chance for a lot of their ‘Golden Generation’ to win a major tournament.
Belgium head coach Roberto Martinez is also now under pressure to produce for the nation, as defeats in Euro 2020 and the previous UEFA Nations League’s finals have caused discontent among fans.
They qualified with ultimate ease once again during UEFA qualifying, averaging over three goals per game, but they often underperform when it really matters at major competitions, such as their defeat to Italy in last summer’s European Championships.
Losing home and away to neighbours Netherlands recently did not go down well either, while a defeat to Egypt in a warm-up friendly means they have lost back-to-back matches, and they have not lost three in a row since 2014.
Meanwhile, Canada scored most goals and conceded the fewest as they topped the final section of qualification in the CONCACAF region ahead of Mexico and the United States.
For a largly young and inexperienced squad at this level, the Maple Leafs can use this competition as a free hit in their preparation for the 2026 World Cup on home soil.
While the big names in the squad all come in attack, building a solid defence has been crucial to Canada’s improvement over the past four-year cycle, as they kept seven clean sheets during the final stage, not conceding more than once in any game.
However, Canada’s form away from home is a cause for concern, as John Herdman’s side won just two of their seven matches on the road in qualifying, and lost away in Honduras in their last competitive game in the CONCACAF Nations League.
Belgium vs. Canada Head to head
These two nations have not previously met in any competitions and this will be their first meeting in the World Cup 2022.
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Belgium Team News
The big concern in Belgium has surrounded the fitness of Lukaku in the build up to the competition, and he will not feature in this group opener, so Batshuayi is the likely starter.
Lois Openda is also in contention to appear, while Yannick Carrasco or Timothy Castagne may take Thorgan Hazard’s place at left wing-back.
Belgium's Last 5 Matches
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11/06/2022Wales1Belgium1Nations League
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14/06/2022Poland0Belgium1Nations League
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22/09/2022Belgium2Wales1Nations League
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25/09/2022Netherlands1Belgium0Nations League
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18/11/2022Belgium1Egypt2Friendlies
Canada Team News
Captain Atiba Hutchinson should win his 99th cap for Canada, making his first major tournament appearance almost 20 years after his debut.
Alphonso Davies suffered a hamstring injury with Bayern Munich two weeks ago and is extremely doubtful for this group opener, but Larin and Tajon Buchnan should are expected to start.
Canada's Last 5 Matches
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14/06/2022Honduras2Canada1Concacaf Nations League
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23/09/2022Qatar0Canada2Friendlies
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27/09/2022Canada0Uruguay2Friendlies
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11/11/2022Bahrain2Canada2Friendlies
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17/11/2022Japan1Canada2Friendlies
Belgium vs. Canada: Odds and Predictions
Main Prediction
Belgium or X: Yes
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