2018 FIFA World Cup - Group G - Belgium, Panama, Tunisia, England
06-10-2018
, 03:02 PM
Teams:
Belgium
The "Golden Generation" of Belgian football is once again among the dark horses/favorites for the 2018 World Cup. They qualified comfortably by winning their group undefeated ahead of Greece and Bosnia, with a 43-6 goal difference.Half the squad plays for top Premier League clubs, with the other half playing for other top clubs in Spain/France/Italy/China. Based on the squad depth, Belgium could easily be a semi-finalist, the weak spot is probably sitting on the sidelines - with Roberto Martinez, who is making questionable decisions like trotting out Fellaini at all.
Recent results: Two wins against Saudi Arabia (4-0) and Egypt (3-0) and a 0-0 against Portugal.
Prediction: Advancing from the group and advancing to the quarterfinals should be the minimum this squad can achieve, but the rest is very unclear, and will depend on the opponents they're gonna face.
Panama
One of the two debutants at the World Cup, Panama qualified by finishing 3rd in the CONCACAF Hex - with the help of both the US ****ing up against Trinidad and Tobago and a phantom goal of their own:
The squad is one of the oldest in the tournament, with 8 players over 30 and six having more than 100 caps. Most of the players play in MLS and Latin America, with goalkeeper Jaime Penedo being the only player to play at a notable European club (Dinamo Bucharest). Their form is pretty ****ty as well, with just one goal in 2018 (5 games, 1-1-3, including a 0-6 against Switzerland)
Prediction: Panama should have no realistic shot of reaching the Round of 16.
Tunisia
Much like Iran, they have four previous appearances where they never made it to the Round of 16, and only won a single match in 1978. Despite qualifying comfortably in a group against DR Congo, Guinea and Libya, this is unlikely to be the time where they finally go one step further, as they have to overcome either Belgium or England for their place in the KO rounds.
Most of the squad plays in the Tunisian or French league, with a bunch of them also employed in Saudi Arabia. Mixed recent results with 1-0 wins against Iran and Costa Rica, 2-2 draws against Portugal and Turkey as well as a 0-1 loss to Spain.
Prediction: Tunisia will probably finish 3rd in the group, depending on the direct duel with Panama.
England
It's coming home! England qualified by going undefeated in their respective group, conceding only 3 goals in 10 matches (although their offensive output of 18 goals was sub-par as well). With an average age of 26, the squad is one of the youngest in the tournament, with all 23 players playing in the Premier League. The downfall of Joe Hart from #1 English keeper to not even making the squad was kind of a surprise, but English keepers are generally not that good anyway, so might as well put a certain four-letter poster between the posts.
Hopes are high that the English team will finally have another good tournament after not making the top-4 since 1990. Given the group, it is possible that England will finish 2nd behind Belgium, but all potential opponents for a Round of 16 match in Group H are realistically beatable anyway. So, as long as England can avoid another disaster like in 2014, they should be good for at least a quarter-final here, where they are likely to meet either Germany or Brazil.
Matches (all times CEST / UTC+2)
Odds
Belgium
The "Golden Generation" of Belgian football is once again among the dark horses/favorites for the 2018 World Cup. They qualified comfortably by winning their group undefeated ahead of Greece and Bosnia, with a 43-6 goal difference.Half the squad plays for top Premier League clubs, with the other half playing for other top clubs in Spain/France/Italy/China. Based on the squad depth, Belgium could easily be a semi-finalist, the weak spot is probably sitting on the sidelines - with Roberto Martinez, who is making questionable decisions like trotting out Fellaini at all.
Recent results: Two wins against Saudi Arabia (4-0) and Egypt (3-0) and a 0-0 against Portugal.
Prediction: Advancing from the group and advancing to the quarterfinals should be the minimum this squad can achieve, but the rest is very unclear, and will depend on the opponents they're gonna face.
Panama
One of the two debutants at the World Cup, Panama qualified by finishing 3rd in the CONCACAF Hex - with the help of both the US ****ing up against Trinidad and Tobago and a phantom goal of their own:
The squad is one of the oldest in the tournament, with 8 players over 30 and six having more than 100 caps. Most of the players play in MLS and Latin America, with goalkeeper Jaime Penedo being the only player to play at a notable European club (Dinamo Bucharest). Their form is pretty ****ty as well, with just one goal in 2018 (5 games, 1-1-3, including a 0-6 against Switzerland)
Prediction: Panama should have no realistic shot of reaching the Round of 16.
Tunisia
Much like Iran, they have four previous appearances where they never made it to the Round of 16, and only won a single match in 1978. Despite qualifying comfortably in a group against DR Congo, Guinea and Libya, this is unlikely to be the time where they finally go one step further, as they have to overcome either Belgium or England for their place in the KO rounds.
Most of the squad plays in the Tunisian or French league, with a bunch of them also employed in Saudi Arabia. Mixed recent results with 1-0 wins against Iran and Costa Rica, 2-2 draws against Portugal and Turkey as well as a 0-1 loss to Spain.
Prediction: Tunisia will probably finish 3rd in the group, depending on the direct duel with Panama.
England
It's coming home! England qualified by going undefeated in their respective group, conceding only 3 goals in 10 matches (although their offensive output of 18 goals was sub-par as well). With an average age of 26, the squad is one of the youngest in the tournament, with all 23 players playing in the Premier League. The downfall of Joe Hart from #1 English keeper to not even making the squad was kind of a surprise, but English keepers are generally not that good anyway, so might as well put a certain four-letter poster between the posts.
Hopes are high that the English team will finally have another good tournament after not making the top-4 since 1990. Given the group, it is possible that England will finish 2nd behind Belgium, but all potential opponents for a Round of 16 match in Group H are realistically beatable anyway. So, as long as England can avoid another disaster like in 2014, they should be good for at least a quarter-final here, where they are likely to meet either Germany or Brazil.
Matches (all times CEST / UTC+2)
| June 18, 17:00 | Belgium v Panama |
| June 18, 20:00 | Tunisia v England |
| June 23, 14:00 | Belgium v Tunisia |
| June 24, 14:00 | England v Panama |
| June 28, 20:00 | England v Belgium |
| June 28, 20:00 | Panama v Tunisia |
Odds
| Belgium | England | Tunisia | Panama | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| To qualify: | 1.10 | 1.17 | 6.00 | 13.00 |
| To win the group: | 1.83 | 2.38 | 26.00 | 51.00 |
| To win the tournament: | 13.00 | 19.00 | 2001.00 | 5001.00 |
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