Belgium v Scotland: Free-scoring Red Devils to terrorise a nervy Scots defence

Belgium v Scotland
Tuesday, 19:45
Live on Sky Sports

Tough test awaits

Scotland have a job on their hands when travelling to the King Baudouin Stadium on Tuesday evening where Euro 2020 Group I leaders Belgium await. The home team - ranked number one in the world by FIFA - have won each of their previous qualifiers to sit top of the pile on nine points and traders expect them to stay there.

The Red Devils are betting favourites to qualify for Euro 2020 as winners of their pool, leaving Scotland and Russia to battle it out for second place. The Scots did record a hard-fought win over Cyprus at the weekend but know a much tougher test awaits in Brussels.

Belgium in a commanding position

Belgium kick-started their campaign with an impressive 3-1 win over Russia on matchday one and had no hassle brushing Cyprus aside next time out, easing their way to a 2-0 cheer on 24 March. With teams around them already dropping points, the Belgians quickly found themselves in a commanding position and built on it with an easy 3-0 win when hosting Kazakhstan on Saturday.

A perfect start means they sit top of Group I on nine points, with Russia and Scotland locked on six. Eight goals scored against just one conceded proves Roberto Martinez and his side are giving this group their full attention.

Mertens grabbed the opener inside 11 minutes against Kazakhstan at the weekend - a side who beat Scotland in game one. Despite that early advantage, Belgium remained on the front foot and scored a quick-fire second less than three minutes later. With the game won it was up to Lukaku to put the icing on the cake, netting his team's third early in the second half. A canter for Belgium and the scary thing is, they barely broke a sweat. Members of the Tartan Army have every reason to be fearful for Tuesday.

Clarke gets off to a winning start

Steve Clarke celebrated his first match in charge of Scotland with a win over Cyprus at Hampden on Saturday. It was a crucial three points for the Scots who knew anything less than a maximum payout would've signalled the end of their dreams just three games in. The gaffer got the win he was after but knows there's much work to be done on the back of what was a hair-raising performance.

Liverpool's Andy Robertson scored a sublime effort from range on the hour mark to give his side the lead they deserved but a lapse in concentration allowed Ionnis Kousoulos to knock home an unchallenged header from a corner on 87 minutes.

A late sucker-punch for a Scotland side who looked set to suffer another painful knock, but they had Oli Burke to thank for sparing their blushes. The super sub climbed off the bench on 73 minutes and was quickest to react when his header came back off the upright, tapping in the rebound. Too close for comfort for the majority of those sat in the stands. Clarke knew just how near his men came to dropping two points but can take heart from the character shown by his squad.

No surprises in the betting

When we have the number one ranked side in the world playing at home against an opponent stuck in 44th and going nowhere fast it's no surprise to see the betting come down in support of Belgium. The Tartan Army will travel to Brussels hoping their side can record an upset, but they'll know the size of the task that lies ahead. To have any chance of getting even a point out of this match they will need to see a marked improvement from the outsiders, as well as the home team having a rare off night.

Belgium are trading at as tight as 1.152/13 on the Betfair Exchange and although that's on the short side, it's difficult to argue against that stance. There will certainly be a few accumulator backers happy to have Belgium on their bet slip.

The draw has been written off as a 98/1 play or there's a stunning 2019/1 available on Scotland. A bet purely for the diehards, we imagine. The Sportsbook give the visitors a two-goal handicap start at 6/4, against 5/4 Belgium -2.

Follow the trends for a nice price

The goal Scotland conceded on Saturday was nothing short of embarrassing and saw them come dangerously close to drawing a match they should've won by two or three. Steve Clarke knew the size of the job he had on his hands when leaving Kilmarnock for Hampden, but that goal would've shocked even him. The new manager and his players must continue to work on getting the basics right and making themselves difficult to beat.

Perhaps the players had things a little too comfortable against Cyprus and switched off near the end. If they do anything similar when faced with Belgium, they could find themselves on the end of a sound beating. We're expecting improvement against a high-class opponent. The visitors will pack the box and aim to hit on the break, but unfortunately for them, they look lightweight up top.

No both teams score is 1.528/15 on the Exchange, while those after a bigger price can back the 2-0 home win at 4/1 (Sportsbook). Interestingly, that would've been paid out as a winner in three of the last four games involving these sides.