Overview
Wales entered this match after a heavy 0-3 defeat to England, when the "Three Lions" took an early lead of 3 goals after only 20 minutes of play.
If they cannot defeat Belgium in the upcoming match, Wales must wait for their opponent to stumble in the last two matches of the group stage to win the top spot and a place to directly participate in the World Cup. However, Wales still have a chance to finish in second place to participate in the play-off round, when they face North Macedonia on November 18.
Coach cra cra craig Bellamy has reason to worry as his team has lost 3 of their last 4 matches, after an impressive streak of 9 previous unbeaten matches (5 wins, 4 draws).
Wales have shown that they often have difficulty in the first half, having conceded seven goals before the break in the last 4 matches.
However, Wales still maintained an impressive record at home. They have not lost in 90 official matches since June 2023, with a record of 6 wins and 3 draws. Notably, they have won all 4 of their most recent official matches at Cardiff City Stadium, scoring a total of 11 goals.
The Belgian team traveled to Wales after being held to a 0-0 draw by North Macedonia. It is noteworthy that they could not win, as Belgium had created more than 3 expected goals (xG), launched 20 shots in the penalty area and only had the opponent finish from a distance three times.
Coach Rudi Garcia must have been very disappointed when his team could not score for the first time in 7 consecutive matches, despite having scored 17 times in the previous 5 qualifiers.
However, this result is not a disaster, as one or both Welsh and Northern Macedonia teams will definitely lose points when they face each other in November. If they win both of their final matches, Belgium will ensure their place in the next round.
In the first leg, Belgium beat Wales 4-3, despite having to rely on Kevin De Bruyne's decisive goal in the 88th minute.
Under Garcia, Belgium are on a 6-match unbeaten streak, winning 4 of them. However, their away form has been less impressive, winning just one of their last 10 away games and losing four.
Personnel situation
Welsh goalkeeper Karl Darlow is certain to start, while Neco Williams, Joe Rodon, Ben Davies and Jay Dasilva are likely to stay in defence, despite the defeat to England.
Ethan Ampadu could continue to work alongside Liam Cullen in the central midfield role.
Above, David Brooks and Harry Wilson are expected to take on two of the three supporting positions behind striker Kieffer Moore. Meanwhile, Brennan Johnson will be the first choice for the left attack position.
On the Belgian side, center back Zeno Debast is likely to pair up with Arthur Theate in the center of the defense.
Midfielder De Bruyne will maximize his ability if he is released from defensive duties, so Amadou Onana and Nicolas Raskin could be given the task of supporting Napoli players in the upper ranks.
Up front, Lois Openda are likely to be given a chance to start against Wales, after the team wasted too many chances against Northern province province.
Expected lineup:
Wales: Darlow, Williams, Rodon, Davies, Dasilva, Ampadu, Cullen, Brooks, Wilson, Johnson, Moore.
Belgium: Courtois, Castagne, Debast, Theate, De Cuyper, Raskin, Onana, Saelemaekers, De Bruyne, Doku, Openda.
The match between Wales and Belgium takes place at 1:45 am on October 14 (Vietnam time).
