World Cup 2022 

Match 41, Group F- CRO vs BEL

Preview 

Even though both Croatia and Belgium advanced to the quarter finals in Russia in 2018, neither of the sides have a guaranteed spot in Qatar’s round of 16 as of now. Thus this game is going to be of significant importance for both of them. 

This game will mark the third match for both Croatia and Belgium. While Croatia are positioned at the top of the group with four points, Belgium are precariously placed at third with  3 points to their name. Croatia started their WC 2022 campaign with an emphatic 4-1 win over Canada. They then played a goalless draw against Morocco. Belgium, the number 2 team as per World Rankings, had a narrow 1-0 victory over Canada in their opening fixture followed by a shocking 0-2 loss to Morocco. 

Croatia, who entered the competition as one of the favourites to go through the next round, would like to forget their disappointing 0-0 draw against Morocco and move ahead. They seem to be in good shape with Luka Modic, Ivan Perisic and Mateo Kovacic in the mix. Kockasti also enjoy a stable goal differential (+3), so they have a good chance of advancing to the round of 16 even with a draw, in case Morocco wins their match against Canada. 

Belgium have looked all over the place in this competition. With a solitary 1-0 win and a goalless draw, the Red Devils find themselves in a tricky situation. Roberto Martinez’s squad will be directly eliminated from the tournament if they lose this game. Similarly, a win will take them through. They can go to the knockout stage even with a draw, provided Morocco lose to Canada with a considerable margin. 

Match Details

Match: Group F, Match 41: CRO vs BEL, World Cup 2022

Date: 1 December 2022

Time: 08:30 PM  

Venue: Al Thumama Stadium, Al Thumama.

Key Players

CRO: We are yet to witness the best of Luka Modric in this World Cup. Throughout his career, he has shown a great coordination capacity that has helped him to successfully deal with numerous complex on-pitch situations. The midfield maestro played a critical role in Croatia’s golden run in Russia, where they finished as runners up.

BEL: Youri Tielemans will be the player to watch out for in this game. He is a highly intelligent and technically sound playmaker, with various fine distinctions to his skillset. The youngster can influence the flow of the game in plenty of ways. He’s a player who wants to optimise space and possession but is adept at progressing the ball in passing and dribbling if need be. He’s potent with both feet, and his striking technique of the ball is not only essential in his passing but also in his ability to shoot from distance.

Possible Playing XIs

CRO: Livakovic (GK), Juranovic, Lovren, Gvardiol, Sosa, Modric (c), Brozovic, Kovacic, Kramaric, Livaja, Perisic

BEL: Courtois (GK), Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Castagne, Carrasco, Witsel, Tielemans, Meunier, De Bruyne, Eden Hazard (c), Lukaku

Match Prediction

Croatia has a good chance of winning this one. They have a well rounded squad and appear to be in good form. We say CRO 2-1 BEL 

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