This season has seen the start of the UEFA Nations League, a new international tournament for European nations. While some nations have taken to the tournament like a duck to water, it has been a struggle for other teams.
On Thursday 15th November, Belgium, one of the nations enjoying their first taste of the Nations League, will play Iceland, a team which is struggling. The match will be played at the King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels and will give Belgium the chance to open a 3 point gap at the top of the group before their final game in Switzerland.
Belgium start the match with 6 points from their previous two games in Nations League A, Group 2. The Red Devils, who finished third at the 2018 World Cup, started their campaign with an excellent 3-0 win in Iceland. Not many teams travel to Iceland and come away with anything to show for their efforts but Belgium showed no mercy as they picked up maximum points.
This was followed by a tougher match at home to Switzerland which ended 2-1 in favour of Belgium. Romelu Lukaku scored both goals, including a late 84th minute winner.
Trends show Belgium are a tough team to beat and they have lost just one of their last thirty matches across all competitions, including friendlies. The loss came at the World Cup against France and at home, Belgium are unbeaten in their last eighteen, winning seven of their last eight. Belgium scored 2 or more goals in each of those seven wins.
Iceland have struggled since the 2018 World Cup and found being in the top Nations League very difficult. Belgium were always the favourites to win the group but Iceland were expected to give Switzerland are run for their money.
The first match, in Switzerland, was a huge wake-up call for Iceland as they unexpectedly lost the game 6-0. It was Iceland’s worst defeat for a very long time and you must go back to 2007 and an away match in Sweden for a similar result.
Having defeated Indonesia in a non-FIFA sanctioned friendly in January 2018, Iceland have failed to win a match. They have lost eight and drawn three of their eleven games, including two defeats at the World Cup against Nigeria and Croatia and two defeats in the Nations League.
Trends show Iceland have lost three and drawn two of their last five away games, conceding an average of 2.33 goals per match.
Looking ahead to the team news and Belgium will be without Kevin De Bruyne in central midfield plus Moussa Dembele and Jan Vertonghen. Eden Hazard is back in the squad having recovered from a recent injury of his own.
Iceland are without Johann Berg Gudmundsson who left the pitch early for Burnley against Leicester City on the weekend. Alfred Finnbogason is expected to lead the line with support from Gylfi Sigurdsson.
This is a match Belgium will be expected to win comfortably and everything is pointing towards a home win. The Red Devils have plenty of talent at their disposal and should score at least 2 goals to move clear at the top of the group.