Portugal and Belgium battle in a World Cup playoff fixture at Estadio do FC Vizela on Thursday. This is a huge fixture for the pair as they bid to book their place in next year’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The winners of this one will face Iceland in Pacos de Ferreira next week. Check out the latest FIFA World Cup odds in our Portugal vs. Belgium score prediction preview.
Portugal vs. Belgium Matchup Preview
Both teams missed out on automatic qualification to the World Cup after finishing runners-up in their respective groups.
Portugal was beaten to the top spot by mighty Germany in Group H, while Belgium finished behind Norway in their group.
On paper, these two teams look pretty evenly matched, and we could be in for a tight and tense playoff fixture at Estadio do FC Vizela in Portugal.
With this one taking place on home soil, the Portuguese are the ever so slight favorites with the bookies.
Portugal vs. Belgium Odds Breakdown
At the time of writing, Portugal is priced at +140 and has a win probability of 41.7%, while Belgium is available at +150.
With the teams so evenly matched, this has the potential to go the distance in Vizela. The draw in the 90 minutes is nicely priced at +240, which has certainly caught our eye.
Portugal vs. Belgium Betting Preview
Portugal
Portugal is in the playoffs after amassing 22 points from ten qualifying Group H games to finish second. Germany was dominant after nine wins from ten, but the Portuguese edged out Serbia by one point in the race for second.
Portugal started in stunning style, winning four and drawing one of their opening five fixtures. However, they had a slump in form in the second half, losing two of their last five.
Francisco Neto’s Side
Still, Francesco Neto’s side held their nerve at the end to win the final three, including a vital victory in Serbia.
Portugal is vying to reach the World Cup for the first time in their history. They have failed to qualify every time but have reached the last two UEFA European Women’s Championships.
Can they end their World Cup hoodoo and book their place in next year’s finals? Find out in our Portugal vs. Belgium score prediction below.
Belgium
Despite winning seven times in Group F, Belgium went on to finish six points behind Norway, who dropped just two points.
Belgium Performance
Overall, the Belgians won seven, drew one, and lost two. They finished two points ahead of Poland in the runners-up position.
Belgium drew with the Poles in Gdansk in game one, though they stamped their authority in the next two, beating both Albania and Kosovo 7-0. They were hammered by Norway but went on to beat Albania 7-0 once again.
The Belgian ladies finished with wins over:
- Poland
- Albania
- Kosovo
- Armenia
And another defeat to Norway. Like Portugal, Belgium has also never reached a World Cup. They have played in the last two Euros, reaching the quarter-final stage in England earlier this year.
Can they take that momentum into these World Cup qualifying playoffs and secure a FIFA World Cup schedule next year?
Portugal vs. Belgium Pick and Prediction
This will be the first meeting between these two nations since they clashed in an Algarve Cup fixture in March 2020. Belgium nicked the win on that occasion, with Tina De Caigny netting the only goal of the game.
Portugal had a poor Euro 2021 tournament, taking just one point from three group games. However, they have returned from England with back-to-back wins over Serbia and Turkey, scoring six and conceding one.
Belgium lost two on the spin before their big 7-0 win over Armenia last month. Read on for our soccer predictions for this crucial World Cup qualifying playoff game.
Who to Bet On?
As we touched on, these two sides look evenly matched on paper, and we can see this playoff going the distance in Vizela.
Our Portugal vs. Belgium score prediction for this one is the 1-1 stalemate, which is available at +600. Also, take a punt on the draw at half-time and full-time at +450.
Final Score Prediction: 1-1 Draw
Soccer Pick: Draw (+600)
Soccer Pick: Half Time & Full Time (+450)
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