CHRIS Coleman’s Wales have made a positive start to their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign but can they continue their good form in Belgium? Mark O’Haire (@MarkOHaire) investigates.
Belgium v Wales | Sunday 17.00 | Sky Sports 5
A trip to Brussels will mark Wales’ toughest trip yet in the race to qualify for Euro 2016 but with seven points from a possible nine, Chris Coleman’s men remain bullish about their prospects for Sunday evening’s showdown.
The 0-0 draw at home to Bosnia last month could easily have seen the Dragons collect three points and the team then showed plenty of character to bag a 2-1 win against Cyprus despite playing with 10 men for half the game.
It’s just one defeat in eight but even at William Hill’s 12/1, it’s hard to justify backing an away victory. Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen have returned to fold and of course in Gareth Bale they do have a match-winner but Belgium are a superior force.
The Red Devils have lost just once in their last 13 and Tuesday night’s friendly win over Iceland made it 11 wins from those 13 fixtures for Marc Wilmots' team. However, with skipper Vincent Kompany ruled out and the world’s most expensive player lining up for the opposition, I’m not expecting an easy ride for the hosts.
Therefore, it’s the 27/10 from Coral on a Belgium win and Both Teams To Score that looks an excellent play at the prices. The Red Devils have plundered 12 goals in four matches since the World Cup and only failed to net once in 14 – their World Cup quarter-final exit to Argentina.
Wales are also surprisingly strong in the goalscoring trends. The Dragons have netted four in their first three qualifiers but also grabbed a goal in six of their last eight as well as six of their last seven on the road.
Throw in the Bale factor and Kompany’s absence and there’s ample reason to believe we could be in for a bit of a treat. But Belgium’s class should still tell on home soil.
Best Bets
Belgium v Wales – Belgium + Both Teams To Score (27/10 Coral)
