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FIFA World Cup 2014: Belgium vs Algeria Preview

Written by @Chadley_N for @HollywoodbetsFollow them both on Twitter and Facebook now! 


Belgium vs Algeria | Tuesday 17 June |  Estadio Mineirao, Belo Horizonte | 18:00

Labelled dark horses by many, fan favourites Belgium will be out to impress when they take on the Fennec Foxes on Tuesday as Group H kicks off. The new golden generation of young Belgian stars are turning heads across the globe, and could be a serious threat to the established soccer powers in Brazil. Two successive World Cup appearances would have seemed almost impossible a decade ago, but Algeria have made a swift return from the doldrums to again take a prominent role in African soccer.

To Win (90mins)
Belgium 5/10
Draw 31/10
Algeria 57/10

Belgium
Belgium have a squad overflowing with talented individuals who have been moulded into a successful team by Marc Wilmots. In qualifying they won eight out of their ten games and their confidence is building. The Red Devils have become a very trendy dark horse pick to make some real noise at the World Cup. Not many sides can boast the amount of depth Belgium have on their roster. Their squad are composed of young stars making waves in the English Premier League and elsewhere. Vincent Kompany will be looking to build on his successful campaign after winning the Premier League with Manchester City. The defender has been a key part of Belgium’s recent resurgence and his brilliant defensive capabilities help balance out Belgium’s deadly attacking force.

Further forward, Eden Hazard is undoubtedly Belgium’s most influential player. The Chelsea star took the English Premier League by storm this past season, netting sixteen times with seven assists in all competitions and was awarded the PFA Young Player of the Year. Hazard has the potential to be one of the players of this World Cup. With Christian Benteke missing the tournament due to injury, Wilmots will be counting on the in-form Romelu Lukaku, who spent last season on loan to Everton from Chelsea. Lukaku’s physical presence will trouble the Algerian defence which could leave gaps open for the likes of Hazard and Kevin Mirallas to pounce. Also, youngster Adnan Januzaj, the topic of a national debate in England not too long ago, could shine if given the chance.

Algeria
The Fennec Foxes have had little to celebrate since the last time they were crowned Africa Cup of Nations champions in 1990. However, their qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup sparked wild scenes last November and both fans and players are looking forward to appearing at successive finals for the second time. Vahid Halilhodzic’s side face a difficult test against the Red Devils who are strong favourites to top the group. Algeria do have some quality players in their squad who could pose a threat to the Belgians, one of them being Sofiane Feghouli. Feghouli is perhaps the most renowned player in Algeria’s current squad, having played for La Liga giants Valencia since 2010. One of a number of French-born players within Algeria’s setup, Feghouli is known for possessing pace and being a creative force in midfield, primarily operating on the right wing but with versatility, moving between central areas and unlocking defences.

Striker Islam Slimani is quite a handful in the final third and will be Algeria’s biggest threat going forward. Slimani’s five goals in the qualifying rounds were key to Algeria’s narrow wins. The Sporting Lisbon star is tall and powerful in the air and will be up against the imposing figure of Vincent Kompany. Skipper Madjid Bougherra is no doubt one of Algeria’s best assets. The defender played a crucial role in the team’s qualification for the World Cup and will need to put in a solid performance against the ever impressive Lukaku.

VERDICT: Belgium (-1) 27/20
The likes of Eden Hazard, Kevin Miralles and Romelu Lukaku will be too much to handle and the Red Devils should breeze past the Algerians in this fixture. Belgium are priced up at 5/10 for the win, but the goal handicap has some value at 27/20 and is worth a punt.

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