Croatia vs. Belgium - Betting tips, predictions, and odds
Belgium is facing elimination from the FIFA World Cup when they take on Croatia in Round 3 of Group F at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium. Here you can take a look at the best Croatia vs. Belgium betting tips and predictions.
H2H, form, and stats
Croatia and Belgium have met on eight occasions so far. All the H2Hs were played since 2000; each team recorded three wins with a pair of draws. The most recent was a friendly match in 2021 and Belgium won 1-0 thanks to Romelu Lukaku’s goal.
Croatia extended its unbeaten streak to eight games (W6, D2) with a comfortable 4-1 victory over Canada in Round 2 of this World Cup in Qatar. Following an uninspiring and bore 0-0 stalemate with Morocco in the opener, Vatreni played way better against Canada. However, it didn't start well for Croatia as the Canadians got to an early lead through Alphonso Davies in the 2nd minute.
It was all from the Maple Leafs, though, who retreated and tried to defend that minimal lead but without success. Croatia scored two in the space of eight minutes to take a 2-1 lead to halftime. Later, Zlatko Dalić added two more to make it 4-1, a fully deserved victory for Croatia, who climbed to the top of Group F. Andrej Kramarić bagged a brace, while Marko Livaja and substitute Lovro Majer also found the back of the net.
Belgium will be playing the most important game of their so-called “golden generation” when they meet Croatia on Thursday. After an unimpressive and rather lucky win over Canada in Round 1, the Red Devils were powerless against Morocco and suffered a 2-0 defeat. Now, only a win will take them to the knockout stage, but beating in-form Croatia is not going to be easy. It seems that we’re going to see the end of this generation that never won a big tournament and is going to waste.
Injuries and squad news
Croatia’s boss Zlatko Dalić is happy to have all of the players healthy and at his disposal for the clash against Belgium. It looks like Dalić found his winning starting eleven, and he will surely start Kramarić, Livaja, and Ivan Perišić up front with Luka Modrić, Mateo Kovačić, and Marcelo Brozović in the middle of the park. Livaja took Nikola Vlašić’s place in the starting lineup and repaid his coach with a goal for 2-1 against Canada.
Roberto Martínez, who will probably be sacked if Belgium doesn't advance to the Round of 16, is having the same problems he had in the first two rounds. He cannot rely on the aging defense, but he doesn't have any better players on the bench, and we seriously doubt that Jan Vertonghen and/or Toby Alderweireld will be dropped against Croatia. Amadou Onana is suspended after receiving two yellow cards in the tournament, so it's time for Youri Tielemans to start and try to lead this team to a victory. After all, when Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne say goodbye to the national team, Tielemans will be the leader of the next generation. Romelu Lukaku is still dealing with an injury, but he did feature for around ten minutes against Morocco and could get a start on Thursday. Belgium needs its top goal-scorer.
Betting predictions and odds
Both Croatia and Belgium are currently at 2.60 to win this match. The bookmakers are undecided on who should be the favorite, but in our opinion, it is Croatia. A draw can be backed at 3.40, and if you prefer betting on goals, you can bet Over 2.5 goals at 2.00 and Under 2.5 goals at 1.81.
Our best tip for Croatia vs. Belgium game
It’s now or never for Belgium, who is facing elimination from the World Cup, which would be devastating for this generation and Red Devils fans. On the other hand, Croatia knows that losing this game will likely mean they are out of the World Cup, so we should have quite an interesting tilt.
Vatreni will be satisfied with a point here, so they can sit back and wait for Belgium to attack. Considering Belgium’s weak and old defense that has been very lenient at the WC, we think Croatia can hurt them on the counter. Belgium has to score here, and if they do it first, it’s going to be a spectacle.
Croatia vs. Belgium: Where to watch? Date, hour, and TV schedule
- FIFA World Cup
- Venue: Ahmad bin Ali Stadium (Al Rayyan)
- Thursday, December 1, 2022,
- 4 PM CET
