• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Betting Offers UK

Best Free Bets & Casino Sign Up Offers For 2020

  • Betting Offers
  • Free Bets
  • Casino Bonuses
  • Home
  • New Sites
  • Free Spins
  • Free Bet Clubs
  • Loyalty
  • Football
    • Premier League
  • Horse Racing
    • Cheltenham Festival
      • Disruptions & Cancellations
      • Old Course v New Course Differences
      • Prestbury Cup
      • Top Trainers
    • Grand National
      • Disruptions & Cancellations
      • Back to Back Grand National Winners
      • How Often Does the Favourite Win?
      • How to Pick the Grand National Winner
      • What is the Virtual Grand National?
  • Irish Lottery
  • Blog

World Cup 2018 Group G Preview: England Expects But Belgium Look the Smart Bet

7 June, 2018

England and Belgium Football FlagsSo here we are: the quadrennial hope and expectation shattered within a matter of days. That’s England at the World Cup.

Whatever you may think of this squad of players, and the Three Lions’ penchant for flattering to deceive on the big stage, they will surely progress to the knockout stage here.

World Cup draws don’t come much kinder than Belgium, Tunisia and Panama, and while the Belgians are actually the bookmakers’ favourite to take the spoils in Group G, you sense the English would settle for a carefree second-place finish.

The Belgians, marshalled by Roberto Martinez and Thierry Henry, will have set their sights on a run to the business end of the World Cup, although they too have underachieved on the big stage in recent years.

So, can England progress to the last 16 as group winners?

Belgium – Group Winner Odds: 5/6

Belgium FlagHead Coach: Roberto Martinez

Key Man: Kevin de Bruyne

It’s a nice problem to have, isn’t it? How would you get Kevin de Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Dries Mertens into your starting eleven? It’s a conundrum that former Everton boss Roberto Martinez has to solve, but there are worse issues to fathom out.

That trio, with Romelu Lukaku through the middle, is as strong as anything in this competition, and a back four containing Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld isn’t shabby, either.

The Belgians went unbeaten through qualifying, and so the manager appears to have hit on a formula that works, and there will be plenty of punters ready to get stuck into the 11/1 available on the Belgians going all the way in Russia.

Of concern will be the relative failure of this generation of players on the big stage. Quarter finalists at the World Cup of 2014 and the European Championships of 2016, is that Belgium’s ceiling or can they go further this time around?

England – Group Winner Odds: 11/8

England FlagHead Coach: Gareth Southgate

Key Man: Harry Kane

Predicting where England will finish in a World Cup campaign is a risky business.

The Three Lions are typically excellent in qualifying, brilliant at Wembley, but put them on the big stage and they crumble.

This current squad, however, is a young bunch and that could be to England’s advantage; the naivety of youth can lead to some fearless performances.

But the ghosts of failure past always way heavy on the minds of the players, and Gareth Southgate – who has done a decent job as head coach – has his own big tournament misery to contend with after missing a crucial penalty at Euro ’96.

The 3-4-3 system that Southgate has brought into play is modern and offers seamless transition between defence and attack, and without sugaring the pill somewhat you could argue that the Three Lions are better placed to succeed in a major tournament than they have been for some time.

Will they win it? No, it’s highly unlikely. But they should qualify for the last 16 with ease, and from there who knows how far this brave new England outfit can go.

Tunisia – Group Winner Odds: 22/1

Tunisia FlagHead Coach: Nabil Maaloul

Key Man: Wahbi Khazri

There is a slim chance of Tunisia finishing in the top two places in Group G, but to do so they would need to achieve a slice of history: the Africans have never made it to the last 16 of a World Cup.

Does this squad look like a set of potential history-makers? You would have to say not. There is an obvious lack of quality here, with former Sunderland man Wahbi Khazri the most recognisable player in the squad and the vice captain.

The Tunisians have enjoyed some decent results in warm up matches, but they look to be lacking the class to push Belgium or England for a qualification place.

Panama – Group Winner Odds: 50/1

Panama FlagHead Coach: Hernan Dario Gomez

Key Man: Roman Torres

Of all the teams at the World Cup, you would suggest that Panama are the least well known.

This will be their first ever World Cup campaign, and that in itself brings with it its own challenges. And they hardly qualified in a blaze of glory, although qualification in its own right is a fine achievement. They finished with a -1 goal difference, and won just 3/10. It’s not the kind of record that sends shockwaves through the competition.

As for their players, this will be the first time many of them have left Central America, let along visited a country as culturally-different as Russia. They should enjoy the experience, as it may well be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Previous Post: « World Cup 2018 Group F Preview: Reigning Champions Germany Ready to Make a Statement
Next Post: World Cup 2018 Group H Preview: Poland Poised to Prevail in Group of Death »

Primary Sidebar

Blog

Football Player Celebrating
The Closest Premier League Title Races in History: Will 2020/21 Be One of Them?
Saudi Flag Against Dark Background
Racing Behemoth Khalid Abdullah Dies Aged 83 – What a Legacy He Leaves Behind
Donald Trump Waving
Donald Trump and Golf: The Courses Owned by the Former US President & Why He Was Dropped by the PGA Championship
Football Referee Flipping Coin
Heads or Tails: When Football Matches & Tournaments Have Been Decided by a Coin Toss
Red Football Against a Black Background
Liverpool or Manchester United – Which Is the Most Successful Club?
More Blog Posts | Full Archives

Archives

Loyalty Offers

  • Acca Bonuses
  • Acca Insurance
  • Best Odds Guaranteed
  • Free Bet Clubs
  • Loyalty Points

Major Events

  • Grand National
    • Disruptions & Cancellations
    • Back to Back Winners
    • How Often Does the Favourite Win?
    • How to Pick the Grand National Winner
    • What is the Virtual Grand National?
  • Cheltenham Festival
    • Festival Disruptions & Cancellations
    • Old Course v New Course
    • The Prestbury Cup
    • Top Trainers
  • Premier League
  • Irish Lottery

Popular Posts

  • Equine Flu Outbreak 2019: Timeline & Latest Updates
  • The Life & Career of Emiliano Sala: From Cow Fields in Argentina to a Terrace Darling in Nantes
  • Brexit & Football: Will Leaving the EU Spell the End of the Premier League As We Know It?
  • Cheltenham Gold Cup 2019 Entries: Who’s In, Who’s Out and Who Should You Back?
  • Rooney’s Rap Sheet: After Airport Arrest We Ask Why Wayne Can't Keep Out of Trouble?
  • Manchester United Sack Jose Mourinho: Is it Farewell or Good Riddance, and What Next for the Portuguese Manager?
  • The Brexit Affect: UK & Irish Horse Racing Could Look Very Different After Leaving the EU
  • Gambling Advertising in Sport: Is it Game Over for Betting Shirt Sponsors in Football?
  • Match Fixing in Sport: How Deep Does it Go and Should Punters be Concerned?
  • Fans Behaving Badly: Football Violence, Riots, Protests and Disruptions
  • Cheating in Darts: Coughing, Farting & Outright Deception
  • FOBT Maximum Stake Limit: How the Government Has Made a Shambles of Our Era’s Most Contentious Betting Issue
  • Does Football Have a Gambling Problem? Sturridge Latest to be Charged by the FA For Breaching Betting Rules
  • A History of The Tote: One of Sports Betting’s Oldest Institutions

Related Posts

  • The Closest Premier League Title Races in History: Will 2020/21 Be One of Them?
  • Heads or Tails: When Football Matches & Tournaments Have Been Decided by a Coin Toss
  • Liverpool or Manchester United – Which Is the Most Successful Club?
  • The Shortest Ever Football Managerial Reigns: Where Does Tony Pulis' 45 Day Sheffield Wednesday Tenure Rank?
  • Messi’s Magic: All of the Broken Records That Prove Lionel is Better Than Ronaldo
  • What Is The Bosman Ruling and Who Is the Best Bosman Signing Ever?
  • Gerard Houllier & Other Ordinary Footballers That Became Extraordinary Managers
  • Copa Libertadores: What Is It and How Can You Watch It?
  • New Rules On Maternity Leave Bring Women’s Football Into the 21st Century
  • Will New Brexit Rules on Signing EU Players Spell the End of Europe's Best Young Talent Playing the Premier League?

Betting Blog

  • American Football
  • Athletics
  • Betting Industry
  • Boxing
  • Cricket
  • Darts
  • Football
  • General
  • Golf
  • Horse Racing
  • Motor Racing
  • Politics
  • Rugby
  • Snooker
  • Tennis
betting-sites.co.uk
gambling-sites.co.uk

Copyright © 2021 Betting-Offers.com | BeGambleAware.org 18+