World Cup 2022: Red Devils Set to Roast the Czechs

Belgium vs Czech Republic

The European qualifiers for the World Cup 2022 continue this weekend and there’s a cracker of a game in Brussels where Belgium host the Czech Republic.

It’s a clash between the best FIFA ranked team in the world and a tough opponent and Roberto Martinez’ Belgium are expected to come out on top.

The Belgians hold top spot in Group E with three points ahead of the Czech Republic and they can put further distance between them and the chasers with a win over Jaroslav Silhavy’s Czechs.

But pressure is mounting on the Golden Generation of Belgium’s football history. They are yet to win a trophy and head coach Roberto Martinez is expected to deliver.

They fell disappointingly at the quarter-final stage of Euro 2020 and would really have fancied their chances against either of the finalists in Italy or England, so frustration is evident in Belgium.

And they are likely to take it out on a competitive opponent which can cause any team problems. But at home, the Red Devils should have too much quality for the Czechs.

Talking Points

Romelu Lukaku is Belgium’s ace

Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku will be making his 100^th appearance for his country against the Czechs and he is in the form of his life. He scored on his debut for the Blues at the beginning of the Premier League season and his return for his international side has been outstanding.

Lukaku scored twice as Belgium destroyed Estonia 5-2 on Thursday and that takes his tally to 66 goals from 99 appearances. Any two in three striker is worth his weight in gold and Lukaku just seems to be getting better and better.

The Red Devils had to recover from a shock start when Estonia skipper Matthias Kait picked up the ball in the middle of the park, drove forward, and hit a thunderbolt home with just two minutes on the clock.

But Lukaku took the game to the Estonians and they were eventually blown away, with Hans Vanaken, Axel Witsel, and Thomas Foket also on target.

This is a team dripping with talent. Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku were all on target in the Red Devils’ recent 3-1 victory over Wales.

But while De Bruyne — arguably the best midfielder in Europe — and Hazard have been beset by injury, Lukaku is pretty much always around.

For the game against the Czechs, De Bruyne is sidelined while Hazard’s brother Thorgan is more likely to get a start than the Real Madrid man.

The World Cup 2022 betting odds are sure to have the Red Devils among the group of teams which can win the tournament.

Martinez’s men are still ranked as the best side in world football – a position they have held consistently over the past couple of years and they are 30 places ahead of the Czech Republic. However, now is the time to deliver.

I’m sure we’ve said that before of the Golden Generation!

With De Bruyne out of the side, keep an eye on Leicester City’s excellent playmaker Youri Tielemans as he might just keep this generation going on for another few years.

Czechs are ticking along nicely so far

Tomas Soucek features as Czech Republic beat Belarus 1-0 in their World Cup 2022 Qualifier — Czech Republic’s Tomas Soucek during the warm up before the match against Belarus

Either side of a successful Euro 2020 campaign the Czech Republic’s World Cup 2022 results have been pretty fair, and if they can avoid defeat to Belgium then they will be in great shape to qualify for Qatar.

After starting their qualification campaign with a thumping 6-2 win over Estonia and a well-earned draw with Belgium, a 1-0 defeat to Wales put a dent in the Czech Republic’s progress before the break for summer and Euro 2020.

But they are on track again after winning their first match back. Hellas Verona’s midfield star Antonin Barak scored the only goal in the Czech’s 1-0 win over Belarus, but it could have been more as they enjoyed 66-per cent possession, 24 shots to seven, six to two on target and 12 corners to two.

However, they shouldn’t expect such dominance against the Red Devils.

Head coach Silhavy has a well-drilled team captained by West Ham midfield ace Tomas Soucek. And with Euro 2020 hero Patrick Schick unavailable, there could be a start up front for Burnley’s Matej Vydra.

History

This Golden Generation who are statistically the best side in the world still hasn’t won a trophy but they came mighty close at Russia 2018 as beaten semi-finalists.

But the Czechs have won silverware as Czechoslovakia at the 1976 European Championships and they were World Cup finalists in 1938 and 1962.

The two teams have met eight times with three victories each and they played out a 1-1 draw back in March.

Betting Tip

	Belgium vs Czech Republic	Over 2.50 @ 1.90
	September 06, 02:45 (GMT+8)

The Red Devils are heavily odds on at 1.19 to pick up another three points, with the Czechs at 6.00 and the draw at 3.35 with SBOTOP.

The visitors are a well-organised and dangerous side. But without Schick as an outlet out front, they would be outclassed by their talented hosts who are hungry for success.