Wales v Belgium predictions: Battle-hardened Dragons to keep visitors at bay

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Wales v Belgium in World Cup qualifying Group E on Tuesday.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Main Event & Football, 7.45pm Tuesday

Best bet

Draw
1pt 23-10 Betfair

Team news

Wales
Kieffer Moore is available after a suspension but Ethan Ampadu is banned and Gareth Bale as been ruled out with a calf issue.

Belgium
Romelu Lukaku, Toby Alderweireld, Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois and Youri Tielemans all haven't travelled to Cardiff.

Match preview

Wales are unbeaten in their last six World Cup qualifiers and can clinch second place in Group E by holding table-topping Belgium to a draw at the Cardiff City Stadium.

A place in the World Cup qualification playoffs is already assured for Robert Page's side, who, in a worst case scenario, would enter the draw as one of the top two sectional winners from the 2020 Nations League.

However, they would rather be seeded in the 12-team draw – guaranteeing a home tie against an unseeded side – and to achieve this feat they need to finish the group phase as one of the top six second-placed sides.

Avoiding defeat against Belgium would assure Wales of finishing second - above the Czech Republic - and would be enough to secure a home semi-final, as long as Turkey fail to beat Montenegro by four goals and/or Norway don't win by three goals in the Netherlands.

A win guarantees seeded status, while a loss would mean Wales are on the road for the playoff semi-finals and the hosts look up against it on paper taking on the world's top-ranked team.

Belgium have dominated Group E since opening up with a 3-1 victory over Wales in Leuven.

However, they achieved safe passage to Qatar 2022 with a game to spare, winning 3-1 at home to Estonia on Saturday, and might be a little less motivated for the clash in Cardiff.

Roberto Martinez could make a few changes and is certain to be without three injured first-choice players in Thibaut Courtois, Toby Alderweireld, Youri Tielemans and Romelu Lukaku.

Some parts of his squad have greater depth than others and the centre-forward position looks an area of weakness, where Crystal Palace's Christian Benteke – a fading force in recent Premier League seasons – is in line to deputise.

Kevin De Bruyne would be an obvious danger to Wales if he makes the team sheet, but it will not be anything like a full-strength Belgian side and if Wales can get their tactics right, they should be competitive.

Page's side were rampant 5-1 winners at home to Belarus on Saturday and got the job done despite the absence of suspended striker Kieffer Moore and the fitness limitations of Gareth Bale, who was restricted to a 45-minute runout.

Moore's availability offers a different option against Belgium and he looks set to step in for Bale, who has not been included in the matchday 23 due to concerns over a calf issue.

Page will also be hopeful of another big performance from key midfielder Aaron Ramsey, who netted twice against Belarus.

It was a shade over five years ago that Wales triumphed 3-1 over Belgium at the Euro 2016 quarter-finals, but they remain a dangerous team when their key players are available.

They should be close to full strength for their final Group E fixture and a fully committed performance may be enough to yield a share of the points.

Key stat

Wales are unbeaten in their last six Group E fixtures

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