Match Preview: Belgium 5-1 Iceland Prediction and Betting Tips | UEFA Nations League

Belgium – Iceland betting tips for today, September 8, 2020

Match Preview and Predictions

• Following a 2-0 win in Denmark in their UEFA Nations League (UNL) opener, Belgium have now won seven of their last eight competitive games played against teams currently ranked inside FIFA’s top-40. Five of those saw the ‘Red Devils’ win the second half by a one-goal margin. Two UNL wins vs Iceland in 2018 fall within that sequence, with each encounter seeing Belgium win one half by a precise 2-0 scoreline.
• Going back to October 2010, Belgium’s competitive home record against current top-40 teams reads: W4, D5. Three of the last five matches in that group saw a Belgium opener cancelled out within 25 minutes of being struck, while three of the four wins produced second halves yielding over 1.5 total goals.
• Iceland are still awaiting their first point in this competition, and their first UNL goal prior to the 80th minute, after a dramatic late loss to England. Iceland lost by an average of 4.0 unanswered goals across their UNL away games in 2018 (GF 0, GA 8), conceding 3.0 second-half goals on average, and shipping 2.5 beyond the hour mark alone.
• Furthermore, going back to October 2015, their competitive away record against teams currently in League A of the UNL reads: D1, L5. Each defeat came by a 2+ goal margin, four of which saw Iceland concede inside the opening 15 minutes. Meanwhile, three of those losses saw the second half produce over 2.5 total goals.
• Players to watch: Belgium’s Dries Mertens rounded off the scoring vs Denmark (Sep 5). Each of his last six competitive international goals have made the scoreline ‘1-0’ or ‘2-0’ (at the time scored) in clean-sheet wins.
• Opening the scoring in Iceland’s last away win, but missing a penalty vs England (Sep 5), Birkir Bjarnason has seen each of his last three club-level goals come during injury time (either half).
• Hot stat: Overall, six of Belgium’s last seven competitive wins vs opponents in FIFA’s current top-40 have yielded a 2+ goal margin.