Published Jul 8, 5:12am ET by
Alex Dudley - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Jul 8, 5:12am ET
Credit: Shutterstock
Updated Jul 8, 5:12am ET
An all-European encounter is set for the World Cup quarterfinals on July 10, as Spain take on Belgium in Los Angeles for a place in the final four.
Belgium produced their best performance of the summer in their round of 16 win against the USA, but further improvement will be required if they are to upset the odds against Spain on Friday.
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|
|---|---|
| Spain | -160 |
| DRAW | +300 |
| Belgium | +488 |
It has been a dominant World Cup campaign for the reigning European champions, as Spain have won their previous four matches after being held by Cape Verde in their Group H opener.
Most striking has been the defensive record of Spain, as they have kept clean sheets in all five of their fixtures this summer. Their place in this round was assured on Monday, as Mikel Merino scored a late winner to steal a victory against Portugal. Spain dominated the ball in that encounter, and registered a staggering pass completion rate of 91%.
Their possession-based style of play will once again be their preferred tactic, but they will be wary of the threat posed by Belgium on the counterattack.
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Rudi Garcia’s Belgium were largely underwhelming in the group stage, despite finishing top of the Group G standings.
However, their character has been displayed in the previous two rounds, coming back from 2-0 down to beat Senegal in the round of 32, before producing a best World Cup display of the summer in the previous round to beat the USA.
Garcia’s decision to leave out key players such as Jeremy Doku, Kevin De Bruyne, and Romelu Lukaku was vindicated in the 4-1 win, with the latter coming on in the second period to score his third goal of the tournament.
Spain boasts a dominant record against Belgium, winning six of the last seven encounters, which includes victories in each of the previous six. Their dynamic style of play will be well suited to this challenge, and we don’t foresee the European champions encountering any major issues in beating Belgium.
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Pick
Spain (-160)
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