Wales - Belgium    (lost)

Belgium’s third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup marked the peak of a hugely talented generation. Many expected them to achieve even more, but the team never fully realized its potential. Today, only Courtois, De Bruyne, and Lukaku remain from that golden era.

Kevin De Bruyne is clearly nearing the end of his career - his recent transfer from Manchester City to Napoli says it all. He’s still a master of the game, but no longer the prime KDB. I’ve personally never rated Lukaku as a top-class striker with his best form arguably coming during his time at Everton. Courtois remains elite between the posts and Belgium is well covered in goal with Matz Sels also available.

The rest of the current squad is a far cry from the previous generation. Doku and Trossard are top-level players, but most others are just average. The fact that Rudi Garcia is opting to play Trossard as a central forward over Openda in Lukaku’s absence tells you a lot about his confidence in the attacking options. To make things worse, Belgium will also be without Tielemans, a key player in midfield, while De Ketelaere is struggling with injury.

On the other hand, Wales have been playing energetic and disciplined football under Craig Bellamy. They’ve been punching above their weight with a balanced team made up of mostly Premier League players. Captain Ben Davies will make his 100th appearance for the national team tonight - a big milestone and motivation booster. Cullen is in excellent form at Burnley, Neco Williams has carried his solid club form into international duty, and Wilson and Brooks remain unpredictable threats in attack.

In the reverse fixture, Belgium barely scraped a 4:3 win, needing a late 88th-minute goal from De Bruyne, despite leading 3:1 at halftime. Now, just one point separates the two sides and with North Macedonia expected to beat Kazakhstan easily, this match becomes crucial.

Belgium hasn’t inspired confidence in years and their inconsistency continues. A draw might suit both teams, but with the home crowd and a much-improved Wales side under Bellamy, I see value in siding with the hosts.