Match Previews
World Cup 2018
Round Group G
Belgium
Last updated: Mon 18 June 2018 10:26Hot favourites to top their group and looking for impressive start to the tournament. Dropped just two points in the qualifiers and were scoring goals for fun. V. Kompany and T. Vermaelen face late fitness tests. E. Hazard and M. Batshuayi passed fit.
Belgium were the most convincing of qualifiers for the World Cup with nine wins and a draw in their group. The Red Devils also had the most potent attack from all teams that made it to Russia and they scored three goals or more in seven of their ten matches.
The good form continued in the friendlies, with Belgium achieving four easy wins and a 0:0 draw vs. Portugal. However, it must be said that no high-profile opponents were met in recent weeks, with the other warm up matches being against Japan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Costa Rica.
Coach Martinez has no reason to change the 3-4-2-1, or as some put it 3-4-3, system and with Lukaku, Eden Hazard and Mertens up front Belgium look really threatening every time they attack.
The main weakness seems to be the left flank where Carrasco is asked to play as a full-back when this is needed, but as he is a natural winger sometimes he forgets to execute his defensive duties.
All of Vermaelen, Kompany and Batshuayi enter the tournament nursing injuries and they look unlikely to be considered for the starting XI vs. Panama. Eden Hazard also picked up a minor knock in the last warm-up game, but Martinez believes that he will be fit on time. Hazard and Batshuayi were declared fit on Friday and they will be in consideration.
Won all of their group matches in 2014 and looking to do the same again.
Panama
Last updated: Mon 18 June 2018 10:26World Cup debutants and heavy outsiders in their group. Always playing with passion and the modest goal is to earn at least one point. Important midfielder A. Quintero is sidelined. J. L. Rodriguez fresh concern. Ra. Torres will be playing not at 100%.
Sneaked into the World Cup instead of the USA and this first ever qualification for a major tournament already made the players national heroes in their homeland.
Not very impressive warm up results in 2018, just one goal scored in five friendlies, but ever since the qualification was achieved the system was changed to five at the back and the main focus is on defending.
Coach Gomez is the only squad member with previous World Cup experience and the Colombian has been preparing his players for the difficult matches vs. Belgium and England by using 5-4-1 formation in pretty much all of the warm up matches.
Major setback for Panama was the recent injury of their best player in the qualifiers Quintero, which rules out the explosive winger from the tournament.
Gabriel Torres is likely to lead the attack from the off, but on the bench Gomez has the 37-year-old Perez and the 36-year-old Tejada, who have scored 43 international goals each and also have 223 caps between them.
Star defender Roman Torres carries an injury into the tournament and will be playing on injections, which might affect his displays.
Jose Luis Rodriguez picked up a knee injury in training just before the game and he might not be able to take part.
Four of the five starters in defence play their club football in the MLS and they know each other well.
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3-4-2-1 Previous Line Ups
| Player | Rat. | Pos. | No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| T. Courtois | |||
| T. Alderweireld | |||
| D. Boyata | |||
| J. Vertonghen | |||
| T. Meunier | |||
| A. Witsel | |||
| K. de Bruyne | |||
| Y. Carrasco | |||
| D. Mertens | |||
| E. Hazard | |||
| R. Lukaku |
4-1-4-1 Previous Line Ups
| Player | Rat. | Pos. | No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| J. Penedo | |||
| M. A. Murillo | |||
| F. Escobar | |||
| Ra. Torres | |||
| E. Davis | |||
| G. Gomez | |||
| A. Godoy | |||
| A. Cooper | |||
| E. Bárcenas | |||
| J. L. Rodríguez | |||
| B. Perez |
| Player | Rat. | Pos. | No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| S. Mignolet | |||
| K. Casteels | |||
| V. Kompany | |||
| T. Vermaelen | |||
| L. Dendoncker | |||
| Y. Tielemans | |||
| M. Fellaini | |||
| M. Dembele | |||
| A. Januzaj | |||
| N. Chadli | |||
| T. Hazard | |||
| M. Batshuayi |
| Player | Rat. | Pos. | No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| J Calderon | |||
| Al. Rodríguez | |||
| F. Baloy | |||
| H. Cummings | |||
| A. Machado | |||
| L. Ovalle | |||
| V. Pimentel | |||
| R. Avila | |||
| A. Arroyo | |||
| I. Diaz | |||
| L. Tejada | |||
| G. Torres |
| Player | Rat. | Pos. | No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| T. Courtois | |||
| T. Alderweireld | |||
| D. Boyata | |||
| J. Vertonghen | |||
| T. Meunier | |||
| A. Witsel | |||
| K. de Bruyne | |||
| Y. Carrasco | |||
| D. Mertens | |||
| E. Hazard | |||
| R. Lukaku |
Panama
Last updated: Mon 18 June 2018 10:26World Cup debutants and heavy outsiders in their group. Always playing with passion and the modest goal is to earn at least one point. Important midfielder A. Quintero is sidelined. J. L. Rodriguez fresh concern. Ra. Torres will be playing not at 100%.
Sneaked into the World Cup instead of the USA and this first ever qualification for a major tournament already made the players national heroes in their homeland.
Not very impressive warm up results in 2018, just one goal scored in five friendlies, but ever since the qualification was achieved the system was changed to five at the back and the main focus is on defending.
Coach Gomez is the only squad member with previous World Cup experience and the Colombian has been preparing his players for the difficult matches vs. Belgium and England by using 5-4-1 formation in pretty much all of the warm up matches.
Major setback for Panama was the recent injury of their best player in the qualifiers Quintero, which rules out the explosive winger from the tournament.
Gabriel Torres is likely to lead the attack from the off, but on the bench Gomez has the 37-year-old Perez and the 36-year-old Tejada, who have scored 43 international goals each and also have 223 caps between them.
Star defender Roman Torres carries an injury into the tournament and will be playing on injections, which might affect his displays.
Jose Luis Rodriguez picked up a knee injury in training just before the game and he might not be able to take part.
Four of the five starters in defence play their club football in the MLS and they know each other well.
| Player | Rat. | Pos. | No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| J. Penedo | |||
| M. A. Murillo | |||
| F. Escobar | |||
| Ra. Torres | |||
| E. Davis | |||
| G. Gomez | |||
| A. Godoy | |||
| A. Cooper | |||
| E. Bárcenas | |||
| J. L. Rodríguez | |||
| B. Perez |
| Player | Rat. | Pos. | No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| J Calderon | |||
| Al. Rodríguez | |||
| F. Baloy | |||
| H. Cummings | |||
| A. Machado | |||
| L. Ovalle | |||
| V. Pimentel | |||
| R. Avila | |||
| A. Arroyo | |||
| I. Diaz | |||
| L. Tejada | |||
| G. Torres |