Belgium v Wales predictions: Belgians can stay in contention for top spot

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Belgium v Wales in the Nations League on Thursday.

Where to watch

Premier Sports 1, 7.45pm Thursday

Best bet

Belgium-Belgium double result
1pt 21-20 BoyleSports, Coral, Ladbrokes

Team news

Belgium
Romelu Lukaku is not part of the squad.

Wales
Ben Davies withdrew from the squad and has joined Joe Allen, Aaron Ramsey and Harry Wilson on the sidelines.

Match preview

Belgium have been playing catch-up in the Nations League since starting off with a 4-1 loss at home to the Netherlands, but they can stay in the hunt for top spot by beating basement boys Wales in Brussels.

Group A4 has boiled down to a straight shootout between the Netherlands and Belgium, who go head-to-head in Amsterdam on Sunday.

But the Belgians know that a failure to defeat Wales could end their hopes before the weekend.

The Welsh are on the brink of relegation due to the three-point gap between themselves and third-placed Poland.

Belgium must cope without Romelu Lukaku, who has missed the last three weeks with a muscle strain, but their squad is otherwise close to full strength and includes Kevin De Bruyne, who was a notable absentee when the Red Devils won 1-0 away to Poland last time out.

De Bruyne tops the Premier League assist charts with six in just seven appearances and he should shine against a depleted Wales side.

Wales are weakened at the back by the absence of injured left-sided central defender Ben Davies, they are below strength in midfield with Matt Smith and Joe Morrell likely to step in for Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen, and they can no longer rely so heavily on Gareth Bale, who has had an indifferent start to life in the MLS.

Bale has scored two goals in 11 appearances Los Angeles FC but he is yet to play a full game and nine of his outings have come from the bench.

Wales have attacking alternatives including Premier League trio Brennan Johnson, Dan James and Kieffer Moore, but none of them will strike fear into the hearts of the Belgians, who are second in the Fifa rankings.

Belgium lost the number one ranking this summer and could have a lot further to fall given the waning talents of Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld and Eden Hazard. But they remain a strong team and should ease to a comfortable success over Rob Page's injury-hit side.

Key stat

Belgium have led at the break and gone on to win in six of their last ten home fixtures.

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