football | Wednesday, November 30, 2022 11:52 AM (Revised at: Thursday, December 1, 2022 2:14 PM)

Croatia vs Belgium Bet Builder Tips: 2.16 Builder For Group F Showdown

Kolade Daniel

Croatia vs Belgium Bet Builder Tips: Thursday, December 1st

We’ve approached the business end of the group stages and the round of 16 is the goal for a couple of teams. Group F’s progression is up for grabs and we have Croatia v Belgium bet builder tips here at bettingexpert. Who will advance? Let’s have a look.

In this article:

Croatia vs Belgium Preview
Croatia vs Belgium Stats & Facts
Croatia vs Belgium Bet Builder

Croatia vs Belgium Preview

World Cup Group F, Thursday, December 1st, 15:00 (UK)

Matchday 3 beckons in group F and it is a straight fight between the two teams who were favourites to progress from the group prior to the start of the tournament. The knockout stages await the winner here.

Group leaders, Croatia, came from a goal down to get better of Canada. It was a stunning turnaround from the 2018 finalists to put them in the pole position of reaching the next round.

The Croats have been impressive under the tutelage of Zlatko Dalic and one player who has been enjoying his football in recent years is Ivan Perisic. The Tottenham winger has been directly involved in 16 goals at the World Cup and EUROs combined (9 goals, 7 assists), six more than any other Croatia player.

Belgium, on the other hand, have everything going all wrong for them. Amidst reports of disunity in their dressing room, they were utterly dominated by Canada in their opening game but still managed to nick a narrow 1-0 win.

However, there was no hiding place against Morocco and they were severely punished by the North Africans. Romelu Lukaku returned to action in the final ten minutes against the Moroccans, but the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard have continued to underperform in Qatar.

They will need to dig deep to match their European counterparts who are looking strong and good for the next round.

Belgium have the quality to beat Luka Modric’s Croatia but the challenge is whether or not they can rediscover their form to edge this contest. On the flip side, the Croats have the momentum and form going their way and that could spur them to success on Thursday.

Croatia vs Belgium Stats & Facts

This is the first World Cup meeting between Croatia and Belgium.
Belgium have won their last two meetings with Croatia in all competitions and Striker Romelu Lukaku has scored all three goals in those victories.
Only one goal has been scored by Belgium from a total of 19 shots at World Cup 2022 (Batshuayi Michy v Canada).
Croatia have scored first in four of their last five games against sides currently ranked inside in the world’s top ten (W3, D1, L1).
As a goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois could reach 100 appearances for Belgium in this match, becoming the first player to reach this milestone for Belgium and the seventh overall after Jan Vertonghen, Axel Witsel, Toby Alderweireld, Eden Hazard, Dries Mertens and Romelu Lukaku.

Croatia vs Belgium Bet Builder

Considering their previous performances in Qatar, Croatia holds the edge here for me. The Croats’ midfield has been impressive and quite efficient. Ivan Perisic’s threat in the attacking third helps them to find solution in crucial moments. Another player who has been superb for them is Andrej Kramaric who grabbed a brace against Canada.

The 4-1 comeback win over Canada signified their resilience and desire to achieve their goals despite the situation. If they can find that same level against the Belgians, they will progress with ease.

Although Belgium still carries threats, Croatia or Draw makes up the first bet builder selection and should not be difficult to come through. Croatia have scored multiple times this season, while the Red Devils have just a goal to their credit. Belgium will have to be on their toes to go past the Croats, which I think will not happen on Thursday at the Ahmaad bin Ali Stadium.