Belgium – Croatia : Preview & Prediction
Belgium and Croatia play, in a friendly. This is the 2nd friendly that Belgium has played this year, after the previous friendly against Greece. In the case of Croatia, this is their 2nd friendly of the year, after the previous friendly against Armenia. There is no recent record of direct clashes between the two teams, who have not played any matches in the last 3 years. The last time they met, on 11‑10‑2013, in a match that ended with the final score: Croatia (1‑2) Belgium. In this match, the home factor may play a decisive role, as Croatia has shown differences in performance in their home and away matches.
This is the 2º friendly match of the year for the home team, after the friendly against Greece, which ended with the final score: Belgium (1‑1) Greece. This is a team that keeps their performance when they play away from their stadium, as in the last 30 matches they register 11 wins, 1 draw and 3 losses in away matches; against 12 wins and 3 draws in their stadium. In the last 10 home matches Belgium has a record of 8 wins and 2 draws. Defensive consistency hasn’t been their best feature, as they have conceded goals in 8 of the last 10 matches, but their offense has scored consistently, as they have scored at least one goal in each of the last 10 matches. In their matches there is a tendency towards goals, as in 12 of their last 12 matches at home there were Over 1.5 goals and in 9 of the last 12 there were Over 2.5 goals. In 15 matches, they have turned the score around in 4 of the 5 matches in which they conceded the first goal. In the last 12 home matches for all competitions there are 1 periods that stand out: they have conceded 4 of their 9 goals between minutes (0’‑15′).
Belgium comes to this game with a tie, in 1×1, against Greece, in a preparatory game for the next official games: the only goal of the team was signed by Thorgan Hazard. In this match against Croatia, coach Roberto Martínez should keep the team in 3-4-3, prioritizing the maintenance of ball possession and supported attacks. We emphasize that the Belgians have great competence in the defense-attack transition. There are no weightless absences for this game.
The away team plays its 2 nd friendly match of the year, after having faced Armenia, in a match that ended with the final score: Croatia (1‑1) Armenia. This is a team that usually favors the home factor, stronger when they play with the support of their supporters, since in the last 30 matches they register 2 wins, 5 draws and 8 losses in away matches, with a total of 21 goals scored and 33 conceded. At home, they won 10 wins, 2 draws and 3 defeats, with a total of 28 goals scored and 16 conceded. In the last 9 away matches Croatia has won 2, drawn 3 and lost 4. The team has conceded goals to the opponent in 8 of the last 10 matches, so their defense needs to improve, but their offense has been scoring regularly , as they managed to score in 9 of the last 10 matches. In their matches there is a tendency to have goals, as in 8 of their last 9 away matches there were Over 1.5 goals and in 6 of the last 9 there were Over 2.5 goals. In 15 matches, they have conceded the first goal 8 times but managed to turn the score around in 3.
Croatia starts this game with a 1-1 draw against Armenia, in a preparatory game for the next official matches: the only goal of the team was signed by Ivan Perisic. In this game against Belgium, coach Zlatko Dalic should line up his team in 4-3-3 favoring the medium-low block and counterattacks. Midfielder Luka Modric is the highlight of this Croatian team, being very strong in passing and game vision. There are no weightless absences for this game.
Belgium – Croatia : Betting Tips
Belgium – Win Odds: 1.75
Both teams to score / YES – Odds: 1.70
Over 2.5 Goals – Odds: 1.70
