Group G of the soccer World Cup was the one that seemed the easiest to predict before the start of the tournament. Everyone expected England and Belgium to go through, and this could very well be the case.
Both European nations won their first games, and if they do the same in round 2, it will be over for Panama and Tunisia. I don’t think the former can do much about it, but the African side showed glimpses of potential in the first round.
If they do the same against Belgium, the suspense might be alive for the final round of fixtures after all.
The more important question is if there are some juicy betting opportunities available for the 2nd round. For a start, let’s see what happened at the beginning.
Everyone expected that Panama would be the punching bag of the World Cup, and this may very well be the case.
The small country managed to hold Belgium in the first half and actually looked somewhat decent at the back. However, the European side managed to improve in the second half and comfortably won 3-0 at the end.
It’s a bit hard to draw too many conclusions from this game. Some say Belgium didn’t play well and they have problems unlocking defenses. In my opinion, the team simply decided to take it easy and not waste too many efforts early on.
Keeping your players fresh is one of the most important things if you are in to win it. Belgium certainly is among the sides who have a lot of potential to make a deep run, so a half-hearted effort at the start against Panama is the logical choice.
Also, they did win 3-0 at the end of the day, so it was job well done.
As for Panama, I would say they performed exactly as we expected. They played deep, tried to mostly defend, and didn’t do much up front. The team is happy to be part of the World Cup, and I don’t think they have the quality do to something special.
The other game of this group was much closer, though, at least when it comes to the final score. England beat Tunisia 2-1 to complete the successful start of the two European sides.
To be fair, the scoreline flatters the Africans to an extent. England started much brighter and created a lot of chances in the first half. They did manage to score through skipper Harry Kane, and it took a stupid penalty for Tunisia to tie the game.
England kept pushing in the second half, and eventually, Kane found the net for the second time in stoppage time. Not the most convincing win for the team, but they played well overall and got the points, which is the most important thing.
It must be mentioned that England should’ve had two penalties when Kane was wrestled to the ground by Tunisian players. It’s curious that the VAR team didn’t signal the main referee.
So, what should we expect from the two games coming up in this group? Let’s take a look.
Here are the main betting markets for this 2nd-round match.
The next opponent Belgium will have to face is Tunisia. I expect a similar setup to the game against Panama. Tunisia will mostly sit deep and defend, while Belgium will have a lot of the ball, trying to somehow break the back line.
However, the African side will certainly not be as toothless as Panama. They do have some decent players on the counter and will try to exploit any space Belgium might leave. Still, I don’t think Tunisia will have many chances, but they should not be underestimated.
On the other end, I think Belgium will struggle a bit. We’ve already seen a lot of the favorites clueless against packed defenses.
Eden Hazard could dribble his way through almost any defense in the World Cup, Lukaku is one of the strongest strikers out there, and Kevin De Bruyne is probably the best passer.
And there are other players who could break the deadlock, as Dries Mertens did with his exceptional value against Panama. This is the reason I can’t see Tunisia keeping a clean sheet, despite the hard work and desire they showed against England.
Also, it’s worth mentioning that the physical approach Tunisia adopted against Harry Kane might not work against Romelu Lukaku. He’s stronger, and the referees will be watching carefully after the controversy in the 1st round.
I believe Belgium will win this match because they simply have too much firepower in attack. Still, the price is abysmal, and I would suggest you avoid it.
The over-under market is not very tempting, either. I don’t expect many goals, but Tunisia might be forced to push at some point. Belgium could be devastating if they are given space, so even a tight game could end up with some goals at the end.
Still, I feel there is one market that deserves attention. Belgium to win to nil is priced at 1.95. Since I feel the European side will manage to keep a clean sheet and find a way to score, something like 1-0 or 2-0 seems the realistic outcome.
Let’s look at the mainstream betting markets for this game.
Many people believe this English squad lacks the defensive stability to do something special in the World Cup. I can agree with that, and you could even see it in the first game against Tunisia.
A stupid penalty and some unconvincing moments showed that the European side is vulnerable at back, and this could cost them a lot later on.
However, this shouldn’t be a big deal against Panama. The country failed to threaten the opponent in its first game in the World Cup finals. Instead, the main focus of Panama was to defend. The strategy worked in the first half, but the Belgian attack was too good in the second.
To be fair, I expect a similar scenario against England. The favorite in this game proved that the attack is the best part of the squad in the opener against Tunisia. Harry Kane scored twice, and England created plenty of other chances during the game.
They played with real purpose and penetration, using the flanks well. I expect more of the same against Panama, but there are some questions for the starting lineup.
For a start, Dele Alli has a minor thigh strain that might keep him out of the game. Considering the performance of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who did well as a substitute against Tunisia, I think this will be the logical replacement.
The other question is if Sterling should keep his place ahead of Rashford. The Man City winger had a better season overall, but Rashford seems to be in better shape. His direct style and clinical finishing contribute a lot to the English attack.
I think the eventual changes won’t affect the overall style of the team that much, though. Oh, and there’s another injury as well. The English coach Gareth Southgate has dislocated his should in training. Still, I believe this one won’t affect the team too much!
England should have too much up front for Panama to cope with and seems like the overwhelming favorite in this Group G game. I think the price of 1.20 is about right and doesn’t contain much value.
However, we all saw how the first goal affected Panama in the opening game. They lost their confidence and quickly conceded two more. I think this could happen again, so the price of 1.75 for England -1.5 Asian Handicap seems quite solid. I expect the score to be either 2-0 or 3-0.
My pick for the BetVictor Million Pound Bet will be focused on the Belgium versus Tunisia game this time around.
Belgium to Win 2-0 Match to Be Drawn 0-0 in the 1st Half Kevin De Bruyne to Score 1+ Goals Romelu Lukaku to Score 1+ Goals Tunisia Over 3.5 Cards Belgium Over 8.5 CornersI already explained about the correct score, and I expect a tight first half. I think Lukaku is the logical choice to score, and De Bruyne is always dangerous. At the same time, Tunisia will be trying to stop Belgium at all costs, and this could bring some cards.
And since Belgium will be attacking a lot, over 8.5 corners doesn’t seem too far-fetched. The final price is 4,245.
I expect the two European favorites of the group to progress to the last 16 and decide the exact order in the last match. Panama and Tunisia certainly have other ideas, though.
Do you think either of them could upset the odds? Let me know what you think in the comment section below.
Good luck!
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