01/12/2022
With both teams vying to advance to the knockout rounds, the Group F leaders Croatia (FIFA rank: #12) and Belgium (FIFA rank: #2) will almost surely provide more surprises and upsets to a World Cup already full of them. Both teams still have a chance to win the group, thus nothing is assured, but Croatia has the lead due to their one-point advantage (W1, D1).
Zlatko Dalic's team had a sluggish start to the tournament, drawing 0-0 with Morocco, but they recovered to defeat Canada 4-1, showing signs that they are adjusting to the competition. Alphonso Davies' goal against them in the second minute was their second goal surrendered within ten minutes in four games. However, Croatia went undefeated in those games (W3, D1), suggesting that conceding early isn't necessarily disastrous for Croatia.
Belgium was lucky to defeat Canada 1-0 in their opening match, but their final match ended in a 2-0 loss to Morocco, which apparently caused riots in Brussels, Antwerp, and even Amsterdam! The difficulty on the field rises once further when they face the runners-up from last year, and worryingly, Belgium manager Roberto Martnez claimed his team played against Morocco with "the dread of losing" â an attitude that is far from ideal given that failure will see Belgium exit the tournament.
They may be in a better frame of mind because they have won both of their most recent head-to-head meetings (W2, D1), and even though none of those matches featured more than three goals, the stakes may be higher this time around because Belgium needs a win and Croatia isn't yet guaranteed progression. In actuality, the pressure is definitely on Belgium to advance as a draw is only acceptable in the improbable scenario that Canada defeats Morocco by three goals or more!
With two goals against Canada, Andrej Kramari gave Croatia nine games in a row without losing (W6, D3). Romelu Lukaku scored the game-winning goal the previous time these two teams faced off, and with this matchup long designated for his injury recovery, Belgium will be hoping he can make an effective return after scoring four goals at the 2018 World Cup.
On your favorite sports channel, tune in to tonight's exciting match between Croatia and Belgium at 9:00 PM (GMT+6). You may watch the game from anywhere by downloading Toffee programs on your smartphone!