Belgium vs Kazakhstan 09/06/19

9 June 2019

Kazakhstan face a daunting prospect when visiting Belgium in Euro 2020 qualifier but will fancy their chances at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussel nonetheless.

Sitting at the top of Group I after securing back-to-back triumphs at the beginning of their journey, the hosts are the favorites to win this group. Notably, both of Belgium’s victories have seen them beat their rivals by a comfortable two-goal margin. Even though they have sustained just one defeat since finishing third in Russia, Switzerland’s 5-2 hammering of De Rode Duivels has prevented Roberto Martínez’s side from breaking into the UEFA Nations League semi-finals. A disappointing result against the Nati aside, Belgium have been impressive since returning from Russia, as they’ve pulled off six wins in eight outings over the past ten months (W6, D1, L1), with Martinez’s men scoring over 1.5 match goals across all of those triumphs.

Meanwhile, the visitors’ outstanding start to the qualifiers have seen them beat Scotland 3-0 at home, but a 4-0 away defeat to Russia last time out has compromised Kazakhstan’s chances of securing a top-two finish in this group. The Hawks’ struggling away from home has seen them fail to pick up a win on all four of their previous road trips (D2, L2), with all of those matches seeing both teams score. Kazakhstan’s inability to keep a clean sheet when on the road could trouble Michal Bílek, considering his players have conceded at least one goal in 12 consecutive away games, allowing 2+ match goals ten times in the process.