Prediction International Friendly - England vs Belgium

International Friendly - England vs Belgium
Match Time: 27-03-2024 03:45 Wednesday (GMT+8)
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England

Only one member of the starting Brazil backline on Saturday evening had ever earned a senior cap for their country before, but an England offence bereft of Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka struggled to lay a glove on their inexperienced visitors, who had lost their last three games of 2023.

However, Dorival Junior's first match as Brazil head coach proved to be an incredibly joyous occasion for the Selecao manager, who witnessed 17-year-old Endrick net a record-breaking goal in the 80th minute to settle the match, as the Real Madrid-bound teenager tapped in from a Vinicius Junior rebound.

While Endrick rejoiced in becoming the youngest men's player to ever score at Wembley for club or country, a familiar sense of pessimism engulfed the Three Lions faithful, whose optimism of Euro 2024 glory has taken a significant hit owing to England's first defeat at their headquarters in over four years.

Saturday's reverse also marked a first-ever friendly defeat for Southgate at Wembley and England's first loss since bowing out of the 2022 World Cup at the hands of France, although Southgate was able to reflect on several positives from his side's display, even if a lack of cutting edge was a glaring blot on the notebook.

Not since the forgettable Roy Hodgson era in November 2013 have England suffered defeat in two successive home friendlies, although the toothless Three Lions also failed to score in both of those contests, losing 2-0 to Chile four days before a 1-0 reverse at the hands of Germany.

Belgium

Southgate's men should not take a leaf out of Belgium's attacking book on Tuesday night, though, as Domenico Tedesco's side were also left to rue a tepid offensive display on Ireland's turf, where no goals were to be had across the 90 minutes on Saturday.

Furthermore, only a Matz Sels penalty save from Evan Ferguson spared Belgium from the embarrassment of a first defeat since being bested by Morocco at the 2022 World Cup, and the Red Devils can therefore proudly boast a 12-game unbeaten run heading into the midweek matchup.

Each of Belgium's last three games has also seen Tedesco's team keep a clean sheet, although the drab draw against 62nd-ranked Ireland marked the first time in 14 years that this week's visitors failed to score against a team sitting outside the FIFA's top 50, an unwanted feat they last achieved versus Finland in August 2010.

Also left to rue the absence of two of their fundamental cogs in Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne, a Belgium side with little to show from their 'golden generation' of players will hit the road for the final time before Euro 2024 this week, as home contests with Montenegro and Luxembourg await in June before their next bid for glory begins.

Three of Belgium's last four showdowns with England have also seen the Red Devils emerge victorious, including a group-stage a third-placed playoff success at the 2018 World Cup, although their only defeat in that time came at an empty Wembley in the 2020-21 Nations League.

Prediction: England 1-1 Belgium