The favorite in the group, Belgium, only managed a 1:1 draw in their first match against Egypt. On the other hand, they recorded their 14th consecutive match without defeat. Before the World Cup, Belgium showed improvement and played some strong matches, which they will need now. The country's all-time top scorer, Romelu Lukaku, came off the bench against Egypt and was instrumental in the equalizer, so perhaps he will start as a starter now.
Iran is under stress and pressure"We are the most oppressed team in history," were the words of Iran's coach after the 2:2 draw with New Zealand at the start. The political situation is clearly having a negative impact on the team. They have to travel back and forth to Mexico each time, and after the match with New Zealand, they were ordered to leave immediately instead of doing so the next day after a recovery training session. Captain Mehdi Taremi also complained about the treatment of him and his teammates. Quite a few people from the team's delegation were left without visas, and one of the players is also threatened by this, leaving his participation in question. Otherwise, Iran showed good form before the tournament, but due to other reasons, it is clearly not developing according to the team's wishes.
Prediction: victory for Belgium and over 1.5 goalsBelgium can show a better face, and I expect them to do so in this match. Considering the entire situation, the pressure, and uncertainties surrounding Iran, this may also only benefit the Belgians, and they could celebrate victory in this match.
This text is an AI-assisted translation in English. Link to the original source in Bulgarian ➔







