Belgium vs. France 10/7/21 UEFA Nations League Soccer Pick, Odds, and Prediction
Belgium vs. France
October 7, 2021 2:45 pm EDT
The Line: Over 2.5 +130, Under 2.5 -163
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Belgium and France are clashing at Allianz Stadium in the UEFA Nations League semifinals. Belgium is ranked number one in the FIFA standings, and they deserve to be there, but they have been inconsistent lately. France is one of the best teams in the world, they are stacked up, but they have been struggling a lot lately.
Belgium has been outstanding last cycle in the World Cup qualifications, and they have won all 3 games. During that streak, Belgium has scored 9 goals while conceding only 2, and those two were against Estonia, which is really strange. In their last game against Belarus on the road, Belgium was the dominant team with 75% of ball possession, 5 shots on goal, 4 corner kicks, and 89% of the correct passes. This game could have ended a lot worse for Belarus, but Belgium wasn’t focused on the attacking end, and they have scored only 1 goal. Belgium has won this game 0-1. Lukaku has been outstanding for Belgium in the Nations League with 5 goals in 5 games, and he will once again be in the starting lineup here. Belgium is a fantastic team, especially on the attacking end with Hazard brothers, De Bruyne, and Lukaku, and they have always done well for Belgium. There are a few new names for Belgium, but that will only increase their depth and quality on the bench.
As I’ve mentioned, France is one of the best teams in the world, certainly the deepest team, but they have had a lot of problems on both ends lately. France is at the top of the group in the World Cup qualifications with 12 points, but they have scored only 8 goals so far, which is definitely a low number for this team, especially in this group. In the previous cycle, France has had 2 draws and a win, and that win was against Finland at home. With 64% of ball possession, 6 shots on goal, 9 corner kicks, 1 big chance created, and a high 93% of the correct passes, France was dominant, and they have scored 1 goal in each half. The final score was 2-0 in favor of France. There are a lot of experienced players on France’s roster, players like Mbappe, Griezmann, and Benzema, but there are also some new names like Diaby, Tchouameni, Mukiele, and Dubois, and if you ask me, I think France needed that. The core of this team is still the same, their defense will be solid once they get back on track, and their offense will soon start producing a ton of goals as they did in the past.
I think these are two of the best teams in the world, and even though France is the deeper team, Belgium is playing better soccer at the moment. This game is being played in a neutral venue. I think it will be a little while before France starts playing consistently, which is why I will take the over in this one.