UEFA Nations League Preview

The International Break has arrived for the last time in 2018 and the top teams in FIFA are set to step onto pitches across the world as they continue to make preparations for Qatar 2022.

The UEFA Nations League is the latest rage in Europe, a complex tournament that will take place over the next year and there are plenty of moving parts as this field determines a champion next Summer. 

Many still dislike this part of the schedule. With the possibility for injures while on International duty, domestic clubs sit on pins and needles, as they patiently await a safe arrival from many of their star players.

Enjoy the final week of International play, with the national teams not set to re-join forces until 2019, we should see plenty of passionate performances from all the involved parties.

Belgium vs Iceland 
King Baudouin Stadium, Brussel, Belgium 
11-15-2018 - 2:45 pm ET 

The featured match on the Nations League card takes place in Group (A2), as a red hot Belgium squad welcome a uniformed Icelandic side to the capital city.

Belgium continue to solidify themselves as one of the top teams on the International stage. After grabbing the 3rd place trophy while in Russia, the sky's the limit for this dynamic unit over the next four years.

Roberto Martinez has done a phenomal job while with the Belgium national team. The former Everton man has brought his creative vision to this squad of world class players, placing them on the verge of collecting even more silverware while apart of FIFA competitions.

The "Red Devils" will be without a few key contributors on Thursday night, with Jan Vertonghen, Thomas Vermaelen, Mouse Dembele, and most notably Kevin De Bruyne who are all side-lined with injuries ahead of this key fixture. Luckily Martinez has an abundance of talent at his disposal, as the Spaniard should be able to fill their roles without missing much of a beat.

The Belgiums starting eleven contains a plethora of big names players on the European stage. Led by a front-line which includes the likes of Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku and Dries Mertens, these skilled danger-men keep opposing defenders on edge, as they are able to produce a moment of magic at any point of the match.

The hosts are equally as gifted throughout their terrific midfield. Mostly playing out of a 3-4-3 formation, Martinez has pinpointed players who are efficient on both sides of the ball, able to both push forward in a unrelenting attack, while falling back in a organized shape to deny their opponents any momentum.

Axel Witsel and Youri Tielemans will be responsible for carrying out much of the creative responsibilities on Thursday. With a large majority of the attack generally centered around Kevin De Bruyne, this pairing will have a great opportunity to step-up and fill the large shoes left by the Manchester City man.

Belgium enter the match day owning a perfect 2-0-0 record, and with a victory against Iceland, the Red Devils could lock up the top spot in this Group 2 three-some.

The home side have been quite impressive during their first two victories, averaging 2.25 Goals per match, as this high-powered offense keeps finding the back of the net.

Iceland travel to Brussels in a full blown spiral. After an incredible run that started in the Euro's 2016, the Icelandic side have struggled to grab any positive results, as they have now gone winless over their last 11 International competitions.

Erik Hamrén was placed in charge of rejuvenating these European upstarts after Heimir Hallgrímsson suddenly decided to step away from a highly successful run with his home country, which included leading the tiny nation to their first ever World Cup appearance. 

Hamrén has found replacing Hallgrímsson a true challenge. The Swedish task-master is having a difficult time getting his message through to his new side, only collecting one draw through their first four matches of his tenure. His squad have conceded 3.25 goals per match, during this dreadful period of play. 

The visitors were dealt another blow ahead of the trip to Belgium, learning their two-star players Gylfi Sigurdsson and Johann Gudmundsson have elected to stay behind in England for rehab, placing added pressure on this struggling team to try and fill the void left by their Premier League teammates. 

Alfred Finnbogason will assume the primary goal scoring responsibilities for his national team. The Bundesliga man has made quite a name for himself while a part of Bavarian side Augsburg, scoring 10 Goals in all competitions. Finnbogason is a true weapon while out in the open field, excelling during counter attacking situations, his pure finishing abilities will be leaned upon to help pull the massive upset for the minnow side. 

Aron Gunnarsson is another valuable presence within Iceland's starting eleven. The Cardiff City midfielder brings a veteran presence for the teams more inexperienced players. Gunnarsson has been a valuable commodity for his country over the past several years, his professional work-rate will be leaned upon heavily against this powerful Belgium attack.

Iceland must play a perfect match to even stay competitive against the home side. After being relegated from this top heavy group, their is really nothing more than pride to play for on Thursday evening, making for what could be a lop-sided finale as the final whistle blows. 

Belgium vs Iceland - Match Prediction

Belgium enter the match-day on tremendous run, only losing 1 match over their last 31 International affairs. This talented side seem destined to capture multiple titles during their "Golden Generations" run.

Iceland are a clear shadow of their former-selves. After capturing the footballing world's imagination, this tiny country have failed to reproduce the same type magic that earned them a spot in Russia 2018.

This Red Devils have a clear advantage in this particular fixture. With Iceland limited in their overall creativeness, Belgium should spend much of this match on their front-foot, pushing the tempo as the visitors scramble to keep their opponents off the score-line.

I anticipate Belgium winning the possession battle by a large margin, while creating double digit shots on goals. The hosts should take a multiple goal lead into halftime, while stretching their advantage as the second half whistle blows, in what should be a rather convincing victory for these European giants.

Belgium vs Iceland - Match Tips

Over 3  -125 / 1.8 - Total Full Time Goals
Belgium  -0.75  -125 / 1.8 - 1st Half Spread
Belgium  -2  -120 / 1.83  -  Full Time Spread
Belgium - Team Total Over 2.5  -120 / 1.83 - Goals
Belgium - To Score In Both Halves - YES  -125 / 1.8

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