by Craig Laycock
Original article:
Group G Preview
Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
World Rankings:
Belgium 9th
Egypt 29th
Iran 21st
New Zealand 85th
GROUP STRENGTH
Group G is ranked in the bottom third of groups in terms of combined difficulty, meaning Belgium theoretically should win the group at a canter. But we predict they will have a harder time of it that it might look on paper.
The group also throws up an interesting combination of Iran and Egypt who are tightly-packed together in the FIFA rankings.
New Zealand's adrift position of 85th is the largest ranking deficits to the next-nearest ranked team in a group, with a massive 56 places separating them and their next-closest ranked team (Egypt, 29th), suggesting it’ll be a massive uphill struggle for them to make an impression on this group… but don’t rule out Chris Wood’s presence on set pieces.
***
Belgium
It was a hard-fought qualifying campaign for Belgium, with Wales proving their stiffest opposition in their UEFA Group J, their rollercoaster game ending 4-3 to Belgium in Brussels. With 5 wins, 3 draws and no defeats, however, they came through qualifying as the only team in their group not to lose a match and looked good value along the way.
However, there are only so many conclusions you can draw from a group that includes Liechtenstein, who lost 6-0 and 7-0 in their games against Belgium - and the nadir of their qualifying surely came at the hands of Kazakhstan, where they could only muster a weak 1-1 draw. That goal came from a defensive blunder that gifted a young 17-year old Kazakh player the headlines, and incited rage from Jérémy Doku who issued a rallying cry in the media after too many tame performances.
Play style:
You know what you’re getting with Belgium, and in a sense that could end up being their achilles heel. Tactically solid, but predictable, they typically rely on holding the ball and pushing it out to the flanks to bring players like Jérémy Doku and Dodi Lukébakio into the game. They try to pull teams over to one side and then overload the opposite flank with pace.
Everyone knows what Kevin De Bruyne can do, and his skill at the heart of midfield is still crucial to them in terms of dictating the tempo of a game and finding the space to exploit opponents.
When they lose the ball they spring to life quickly to win it back as high up the pitch as they can to prevent their back line from being exposed.
But in some respects, it is predictable. Against sides that play a low block they look particularly one-dimensional, often looking ponderous in possession and showing a surprising lack of creativity. With a slow back line, losing the ball in this situation can expose Belgium and leave them scrambling, turning comfortable positions into worrying lapses.
Expected formation:
Generally 4-2-3-1 with a focus on getting the ball out to those wide areas.
Chances:
Anything short of winning this group would be poor from Belgium, but you wonder if Egypt or Iran might be able to expose their defensive weaknesses. That leaves open the tantalising prospect that Belgium might not win the group, and be pulled into a scrap with Egypt and Iran. We’re feeling like an upset might be on the cards.
***
Egypt
Mo Salah, fresh from hauling Arne Slot over the coals in the media again, has cried out for heavy metal football at Anfield. But what of Egypt? Their more pragmatic approach sees them cut their cloth accordingly, but Mo Salah remains the individual quality likely to make a difference in their group. Against Belgium, we might see fireworks on the counter attack.
Play style:
Generally speaking, Egypt play a safety-first style of football that then looks to spring into life with heavy industry, if not heavy metal. Far from being a gegenpressing outfit, they instead look to provide solidity in front of their back line and compress the space into a tight low block, a style we’ve seen Belgium struggle to break down.
Then they spring into action with the lethal strike partnership of Mo Salah and Omar Marmoush providing the drama. While the back shape of Egypt is very predictable and solid, the forward players have license to roam freely and find half-spaces, something we know Salah is absolutely lethal at (even if his form has dipped slightly this season).
Expected formation:
3-5-2 / 3-4-1-2 - a back three / back five system that focuses on stability and structure first and foremost. Expect them to cede possession for large parts of the game and simply not care about not having the ball, but then strike when possession falls their way like coiled cobras.
Chances:
Actually quite a dangerous team, and I think they could cause an upset against Belgium in particular given the way they set up. There’s a chance they win the group and plunge Belgium into a messy fight with Iran for 2nd.
***
Iran
This is Iran’s 4th consecutive qualification for the World Cup.
Iran qualified after topping their AFC qualifier group with an 83rd minute equaliser from Mehdi Taremi to send the crowd wild and secure a 2-2 draw with nearest group rivals Uzbekistan. That, along with Palestine’s surprising win over Iraq, put them through.
If the name rings a bell, you might recall Taremi was nominated for the Puskas award for an audacious overhead kick for Porto against Chelsea in the Champions League back in 2021. We wouldn’t mind seeing another of those at this tournament.
Play style:
Pragmatic, defensive… you get the picture. This is likely a nightmare to read for Belgium fans. Like Egypt, they play a low block but rely more on physicality and aerial prowess to win 1:1 duels.
They deploy a double pivot to protect the centre backs and trigger transitions. Like Egypt they’re happy to let the opposition have the ball, but unlike Egypt they’re happier hitting direct balls to initiate quick vertical counters and rely on their target man Taremi to either hold it up or go direct himself. His clinicality makes the whole style work, because they’re not relying on chance creation or saturating the opposition defence, instead picking their moments to strike and relying on Taremi to make it work.
Expected formation:
Almost certainly a 4-2-3-1. Rigid and structurally sound.
Chances:
It’s a bit of a tussle between them, Egypt and possibly Belgium. I think they have a chance, but I expect the quality and movement of Salah will cause more problems than Iran can. I expect them to finish third in the group behind either Egypt or Belgium, depending on who comes out on top of their head to head.
***
New Zealand
I always love to see New Zealand at a World Cup. This is their first appearance since South Africa 2010.
They qualified flawlessly from their OFC second round qualifying games with a goal difference of +18 against some of the minnow nations of their confederation (8-1 against Vanuatu for example).
In the third round, they beat Fiji and then New Caledonia to qualify for the tournament proper. Smaller opposition than they will face at the World Cup, and it’s questionable how they’ll fare against elite opposition, but Chris Wood has experience of playing at a high level in England and you wouldn’t rule out his potential to cause problems if they can keep it tight at the back.
Play style:
New Zealand to their credit try to play a progressive style of football and often set up to build from the back and create patient patterns of play on the attack, while pressing actively and high up the pitch when off the ball.
They look to create passing triangles in wide areas and exploit the space left by opposition, perhaps underrating their technicality, although this has to be taken with the caveat that this style of play has been rarely tested by them against top level opposition. It’s easier to pass your way around New Caledonia than Belgium.
We worry they won’t be able to find the dominance they’ve been used to and may end up having to set up much more pragmatically. A huge shift in play style right before a tournament never usually ends well.
They look to find ways to get Chris Wood into prime positions so that he can use his number 9 prowess to cause nightmares for defenses. We think of his skill in the air, first and foremost, but from his time in England we also know how devastating he can be in the box around low crosses. A real danger man.
Expected formation:
4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, building from the back, overloading on the flanks and utilising Wood to good effect.
Chances:
It’s probably going to be too much for New Zealand given the gulf in standings between them and their next-ranked opposition Iran. I expect that despite giving it a good go, we might see New Zealand play themselves into trouble fairly easily and they should end up bottom of this group. They may not even pick up a single point.
The Tournament Scout’s Prediction
Controversial prediction time:
Egypt win the group
Belgium in 2nd place after losing the head to head with Egypt in a gritty game
Iran in 3rd
New Zealand in 4th
19 min read
Group G Preview: Belgium's undoing?
It looks simple on paper, but we predict Belgium won't top the group.
19 min read
Group G Preview
Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
World Rankings:
Belgium 9th
Egypt 29th
Iran 21st
New Zealand 85th
GROUP STRENGTH
Group G is ranked in the bottom third of groups in terms of combined difficulty, meaning Belgium theoretically should win the group at a canter. But we predict they will have a harder time of it that it might look on paper.
The group also throws up an interesting combination of Iran and Egypt who are tightly-packed together in the FIFA rankings.
New Zealand's adrift position of 85th is the largest ranking deficits to the next-nearest ranked team in a group, with a massive 56 places separating them and their next-closest ranked team (Egypt, 29th), suggesting it’ll be a massive uphill struggle for them to make an impression on this group… but don’t rule out Chris Wood’s presence on set pieces.
***
Belgium
It was a hard-fought qualifying campaign for Belgium, with Wales proving their stiffest opposition in their UEFA Group J, their rollercoaster game ending 4-3 to Belgium in Brussels. With 5 wins, 3 draws and no defeats, however, they came through qualifying as the only team in their group not to lose a match and looked good value along the way.
However, there are only so many conclusions you can draw from a group that includes Liechtenstein, who lost 6-0 and 7-0 in their games against Belgium - and the nadir of their qualifying surely came at the hands of Kazakhstan, where they could only muster a weak 1-1 draw. That goal came from a defensive blunder that gifted a young 17-year old Kazakh player the headlines, and incited rage from Jérémy Doku who issued a rallying cry in the media after too many tame performances.
Play style:
You know what you’re getting with Belgium, and in a sense that could end up being their achilles heel. Tactically solid, but predictable, they typically rely on holding the ball and pushing it out to the flanks to bring players like Jérémy Doku and Dodi Lukébakio into the game. They try to pull teams over to one side and then overload the opposite flank with pace.
Everyone knows what Kevin De Bruyne can do, and his skill at the heart of midfield is still crucial to them in terms of dictating the tempo of a game and finding the space to exploit opponents.
When they lose the ball they spring to life quickly to win it back as high up the pitch as they can to prevent their back line from being exposed.
But in some respects, it is predictable. Against sides that play a low block they look particularly one-dimensional, often looking ponderous in possession and showing a surprising lack of creativity. With a slow back line, losing the ball in this situation can expose Belgium and leave them scrambling, turning comfortable positions into worrying lapses.
Expected formation:
Generally 4-2-3-1 with a focus on getting the ball out to those wide areas.
Chances:
Anything short of winning this group would be poor from Belgium, but you wonder if Egypt or Iran might be able to expose their defensive weaknesses. That leaves open the tantalising prospect that Belgium might not win the group, and be pulled into a scrap with Egypt and Iran. We’re feeling like an upset might be on the cards.
***
Egypt
Mo Salah, fresh from hauling Arne Slot over the coals in the media again, has cried out for heavy metal football at Anfield. But what of Egypt? Their more pragmatic approach sees them cut their cloth accordingly, but Mo Salah remains the individual quality likely to make a difference in their group. Against Belgium, we might see fireworks on the counter attack.
Play style:
Generally speaking, Egypt play a safety-first style of football that then looks to spring into life with heavy industry, if not heavy metal. Far from being a gegenpressing outfit, they instead look to provide solidity in front of their back line and compress the space into a tight low block, a style we’ve seen Belgium struggle to break down.
Then they spring into action with the lethal strike partnership of Mo Salah and Omar Marmoush providing the drama. While the back shape of Egypt is very predictable and solid, the forward players have license to roam freely and find half-spaces, something we know Salah is absolutely lethal at (even if his form has dipped slightly this season).
Expected formation:
3-5-2 / 3-4-1-2 - a back three / back five system that focuses on stability and structure first and foremost. Expect them to cede possession for large parts of the game and simply not care about not having the ball, but then strike when possession falls their way like coiled cobras.
Chances:
Actually quite a dangerous team, and I think they could cause an upset against Belgium in particular given the way they set up. There’s a chance they win the group and plunge Belgium into a messy fight with Iran for 2nd.
***
Iran
This is Iran’s 4th consecutive qualification for the World Cup.
Iran qualified after topping their AFC qualifier group with an 83rd minute equaliser from Mehdi Taremi to send the crowd wild and secure a 2-2 draw with nearest group rivals Uzbekistan. That, along with Palestine’s surprising win over Iraq, put them through.
If the name rings a bell, you might recall Taremi was nominated for the Puskas award for an audacious overhead kick for Porto against Chelsea in the Champions League back in 2021. We wouldn’t mind seeing another of those at this tournament.
Play style:
Pragmatic, defensive… you get the picture. This is likely a nightmare to read for Belgium fans. Like Egypt, they play a low block but rely more on physicality and aerial prowess to win 1:1 duels.
They deploy a double pivot to protect the centre backs and trigger transitions. Like Egypt they’re happy to let the opposition have the ball, but unlike Egypt they’re happier hitting direct balls to initiate quick vertical counters and rely on their target man Taremi to either hold it up or go direct himself. His clinicality makes the whole style work, because they’re not relying on chance creation or saturating the opposition defence, instead picking their moments to strike and relying on Taremi to make it work.
Expected formation:
Almost certainly a 4-2-3-1. Rigid and structurally sound.
Chances:
It’s a bit of a tussle between them, Egypt and possibly Belgium. I think they have a chance, but I expect the quality and movement of Salah will cause more problems than Iran can. I expect them to finish third in the group behind either Egypt or Belgium, depending on who comes out on top of their head to head.
***
New Zealand
I always love to see New Zealand at a World Cup. This is their first appearance since South Africa 2010.
They qualified flawlessly from their OFC second round qualifying games with a goal difference of +18 against some of the minnow nations of their confederation (8-1 against Vanuatu for example).
In the third round, they beat Fiji and then New Caledonia to qualify for the tournament proper. Smaller opposition than they will face at the World Cup, and it’s questionable how they’ll fare against elite opposition, but Chris Wood has experience of playing at a high level in England and you wouldn’t rule out his potential to cause problems if they can keep it tight at the back.
Play style:
New Zealand to their credit try to play a progressive style of football and often set up to build from the back and create patient patterns of play on the attack, while pressing actively and high up the pitch when off the ball.
They look to create passing triangles in wide areas and exploit the space left by opposition, perhaps underrating their technicality, although this has to be taken with the caveat that this style of play has been rarely tested by them against top level opposition. It’s easier to pass your way around New Caledonia than Belgium.
We worry they won’t be able to find the dominance they’ve been used to and may end up having to set up much more pragmatically. A huge shift in play style right before a tournament never usually ends well.
They look to find ways to get Chris Wood into prime positions so that he can use his number 9 prowess to cause nightmares for defenses. We think of his skill in the air, first and foremost, but from his time in England we also know how devastating he can be in the box around low crosses. A real danger man.
Expected formation:
4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, building from the back, overloading on the flanks and utilising Wood to good effect.
Chances:
It’s probably going to be too much for New Zealand given the gulf in standings between them and their next-ranked opposition Iran. I expect that despite giving it a good go, we might see New Zealand play themselves into trouble fairly easily and they should end up bottom of this group. They may not even pick up a single point.
The Tournament Scout’s Prediction
Controversial prediction time:
Egypt win the group
Belgium in 2nd place after losing the head to head with Egypt in a gritty game
Iran in 3rd
New Zealand in 4th
Group G Preview: Belgium's undoing?
It looks simple on paper, but we predict Belgium won't top the group.
Original article:
Last updated:
Group G Preview
Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
World Rankings:
Belgium 9th
Egypt 29th
Iran 21st
New Zealand 85th
GROUP STRENGTH
Group G is ranked in the bottom third of groups in terms of combined difficulty, meaning Belgium theoretically should win the group at a canter. But we predict they will have a harder time of it that it might look on paper.
The group also throws up an interesting combination of Iran and Egypt who are tightly-packed together in the FIFA rankings.
New Zealand's adrift position of 85th is the largest ranking deficits to the next-nearest ranked team in a group, with a massive 56 places separating them and their next-closest ranked team (Egypt, 29th), suggesting it’ll be a massive uphill struggle for them to make an impression on this group… but don’t rule out Chris Wood’s presence on set pieces.
***
Belgium
It was a hard-fought qualifying campaign for Belgium, with Wales proving their stiffest opposition in their UEFA Group J, their rollercoaster game ending 4-3 to Belgium in Brussels. With 5 wins, 3 draws and no defeats, however, they came through qualifying as the only team in their group not to lose a match and looked good value along the way.
However, there are only so many conclusions you can draw from a group that includes Liechtenstein, who lost 6-0 and 7-0 in their games against Belgium - and the nadir of their qualifying surely came at the hands of Kazakhstan, where they could only muster a weak 1-1 draw. That goal came from a defensive blunder that gifted a young 17-year old Kazakh player the headlines, and incited rage from Jérémy Doku who issued a rallying cry in the media after too many tame performances.
Play style:
You know what you’re getting with Belgium, and in a sense that could end up being their achilles heel. Tactically solid, but predictable, they typically rely on holding the ball and pushing it out to the flanks to bring players like Jérémy Doku and Dodi Lukébakio into the game. They try to pull teams over to one side and then overload the opposite flank with pace.
Everyone knows what Kevin De Bruyne can do, and his skill at the heart of midfield is still crucial to them in terms of dictating the tempo of a game and finding the space to exploit opponents.
When they lose the ball they spring to life quickly to win it back as high up the pitch as they can to prevent their back line from being exposed.
But in some respects, it is predictable. Against sides that play a low block they look particularly one-dimensional, often looking ponderous in possession and showing a surprising lack of creativity. With a slow back line, losing the ball in this situation can expose Belgium and leave them scrambling, turning comfortable positions into worrying lapses.
Expected formation:
Generally 4-2-3-1 with a focus on getting the ball out to those wide areas.
Chances:
Anything short of winning this group would be poor from Belgium, but you wonder if Egypt or Iran might be able to expose their defensive weaknesses. That leaves open the tantalising prospect that Belgium might not win the group, and be pulled into a scrap with Egypt and Iran. We’re feeling like an upset might be on the cards.
***
Egypt
Mo Salah, fresh from hauling Arne Slot over the coals in the media again, has cried out for heavy metal football at Anfield. But what of Egypt? Their more pragmatic approach sees them cut their cloth accordingly, but Mo Salah remains the individual quality likely to make a difference in their group. Against Belgium, we might see fireworks on the counter attack.
Play style:
Generally speaking, Egypt play a safety-first style of football that then looks to spring into life with heavy industry, if not heavy metal. Far from being a gegenpressing outfit, they instead look to provide solidity in front of their back line and compress the space into a tight low block, a style we’ve seen Belgium struggle to break down.
Then they spring into action with the lethal strike partnership of Mo Salah and Omar Marmoush providing the drama. While the back shape of Egypt is very predictable and solid, the forward players have license to roam freely and find half-spaces, something we know Salah is absolutely lethal at (even if his form has dipped slightly this season).
Expected formation:
3-5-2 / 3-4-1-2 - a back three / back five system that focuses on stability and structure first and foremost. Expect them to cede possession for large parts of the game and simply not care about not having the ball, but then strike when possession falls their way like coiled cobras.
Chances:
Actually quite a dangerous team, and I think they could cause an upset against Belgium in particular given the way they set up. There’s a chance they win the group and plunge Belgium into a messy fight with Iran for 2nd.
***
Iran
This is Iran’s 4th consecutive qualification for the World Cup.
Iran qualified after topping their AFC qualifier group with an 83rd minute equaliser from Mehdi Taremi to send the crowd wild and secure a 2-2 draw with nearest group rivals Uzbekistan. That, along with Palestine’s surprising win over Iraq, put them through.
If the name rings a bell, you might recall Taremi was nominated for the Puskas award for an audacious overhead kick for Porto against Chelsea in the Champions League back in 2021. We wouldn’t mind seeing another of those at this tournament.
Play style:
Pragmatic, defensive… you get the picture. This is likely a nightmare to read for Belgium fans. Like Egypt, they play a low block but rely more on physicality and aerial prowess to win 1:1 duels.
They deploy a double pivot to protect the centre backs and trigger transitions. Like Egypt they’re happy to let the opposition have the ball, but unlike Egypt they’re happier hitting direct balls to initiate quick vertical counters and rely on their target man Taremi to either hold it up or go direct himself. His clinicality makes the whole style work, because they’re not relying on chance creation or saturating the opposition defence, instead picking their moments to strike and relying on Taremi to make it work.
Expected formation:
Almost certainly a 4-2-3-1. Rigid and structurally sound.
Chances:
It’s a bit of a tussle between them, Egypt and possibly Belgium. I think they have a chance, but I expect the quality and movement of Salah will cause more problems than Iran can. I expect them to finish third in the group behind either Egypt or Belgium, depending on who comes out on top of their head to head.
***
New Zealand
I always love to see New Zealand at a World Cup. This is their first appearance since South Africa 2010.
They qualified flawlessly from their OFC second round qualifying games with a goal difference of +18 against some of the minnow nations of their confederation (8-1 against Vanuatu for example).
In the third round, they beat Fiji and then New Caledonia to qualify for the tournament proper. Smaller opposition than they will face at the World Cup, and it’s questionable how they’ll fare against elite opposition, but Chris Wood has experience of playing at a high level in England and you wouldn’t rule out his potential to cause problems if they can keep it tight at the back.
Play style:
New Zealand to their credit try to play a progressive style of football and often set up to build from the back and create patient patterns of play on the attack, while pressing actively and high up the pitch when off the ball.
They look to create passing triangles in wide areas and exploit the space left by opposition, perhaps underrating their technicality, although this has to be taken with the caveat that this style of play has been rarely tested by them against top level opposition. It’s easier to pass your way around New Caledonia than Belgium.
We worry they won’t be able to find the dominance they’ve been used to and may end up having to set up much more pragmatically. A huge shift in play style right before a tournament never usually ends well.
They look to find ways to get Chris Wood into prime positions so that he can use his number 9 prowess to cause nightmares for defenses. We think of his skill in the air, first and foremost, but from his time in England we also know how devastating he can be in the box around low crosses. A real danger man.
Expected formation:
4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, building from the back, overloading on the flanks and utilising Wood to good effect.
Chances:
It’s probably going to be too much for New Zealand given the gulf in standings between them and their next-ranked opposition Iran. I expect that despite giving it a good go, we might see New Zealand play themselves into trouble fairly easily and they should end up bottom of this group. They may not even pick up a single point.
The Tournament Scout’s Prediction
Controversial prediction time:
Egypt win the group
Belgium in 2nd place after losing the head to head with Egypt in a gritty game
Iran in 3rd
New Zealand in 4th
19 min read
Group G Preview: Belgium's undoing?
It looks simple on paper, but we predict Belgium won't top the group.
Group G Preview
Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
World Rankings:
Belgium 9th
Egypt 29th
Iran 21st
New Zealand 85th
GROUP STRENGTH
Group G is ranked in the bottom third of groups in terms of combined difficulty, meaning Belgium theoretically should win the group at a canter. But we predict they will have a harder time of it that it might look on paper.
The group also throws up an interesting combination of Iran and Egypt who are tightly-packed together in the FIFA rankings.
New Zealand's adrift position of 85th is the largest ranking deficits to the next-nearest ranked team in a group, with a massive 56 places separating them and their next-closest ranked team (Egypt, 29th), suggesting it’ll be a massive uphill struggle for them to make an impression on this group… but don’t rule out Chris Wood’s presence on set pieces.
***
Belgium
It was a hard-fought qualifying campaign for Belgium, with Wales proving their stiffest opposition in their UEFA Group J, their rollercoaster game ending 4-3 to Belgium in Brussels. With 5 wins, 3 draws and no defeats, however, they came through qualifying as the only team in their group not to lose a match and looked good value along the way.
However, there are only so many conclusions you can draw from a group that includes Liechtenstein, who lost 6-0 and 7-0 in their games against Belgium - and the nadir of their qualifying surely came at the hands of Kazakhstan, where they could only muster a weak 1-1 draw. That goal came from a defensive blunder that gifted a young 17-year old Kazakh player the headlines, and incited rage from Jérémy Doku who issued a rallying cry in the media after too many tame performances.
Play style:
You know what you’re getting with Belgium, and in a sense that could end up being their achilles heel. Tactically solid, but predictable, they typically rely on holding the ball and pushing it out to the flanks to bring players like Jérémy Doku and Dodi Lukébakio into the game. They try to pull teams over to one side and then overload the opposite flank with pace.
Everyone knows what Kevin De Bruyne can do, and his skill at the heart of midfield is still crucial to them in terms of dictating the tempo of a game and finding the space to exploit opponents.
When they lose the ball they spring to life quickly to win it back as high up the pitch as they can to prevent their back line from being exposed.
But in some respects, it is predictable. Against sides that play a low block they look particularly one-dimensional, often looking ponderous in possession and showing a surprising lack of creativity. With a slow back line, losing the ball in this situation can expose Belgium and leave them scrambling, turning comfortable positions into worrying lapses.
Expected formation:
Generally 4-2-3-1 with a focus on getting the ball out to those wide areas.
Chances:
Anything short of winning this group would be poor from Belgium, but you wonder if Egypt or Iran might be able to expose their defensive weaknesses. That leaves open the tantalising prospect that Belgium might not win the group, and be pulled into a scrap with Egypt and Iran. We’re feeling like an upset might be on the cards.
***
Egypt
Mo Salah, fresh from hauling Arne Slot over the coals in the media again, has cried out for heavy metal football at Anfield. But what of Egypt? Their more pragmatic approach sees them cut their cloth accordingly, but Mo Salah remains the individual quality likely to make a difference in their group. Against Belgium, we might see fireworks on the counter attack.
Play style:
Generally speaking, Egypt play a safety-first style of football that then looks to spring into life with heavy industry, if not heavy metal. Far from being a gegenpressing outfit, they instead look to provide solidity in front of their back line and compress the space into a tight low block, a style we’ve seen Belgium struggle to break down.
Then they spring into action with the lethal strike partnership of Mo Salah and Omar Marmoush providing the drama. While the back shape of Egypt is very predictable and solid, the forward players have license to roam freely and find half-spaces, something we know Salah is absolutely lethal at (even if his form has dipped slightly this season).
Expected formation:
3-5-2 / 3-4-1-2 - a back three / back five system that focuses on stability and structure first and foremost. Expect them to cede possession for large parts of the game and simply not care about not having the ball, but then strike when possession falls their way like coiled cobras.
Chances:
Actually quite a dangerous team, and I think they could cause an upset against Belgium in particular given the way they set up. There’s a chance they win the group and plunge Belgium into a messy fight with Iran for 2nd.
***
Iran
This is Iran’s 4th consecutive qualification for the World Cup.
Iran qualified after topping their AFC qualifier group with an 83rd minute equaliser from Mehdi Taremi to send the crowd wild and secure a 2-2 draw with nearest group rivals Uzbekistan. That, along with Palestine’s surprising win over Iraq, put them through.
If the name rings a bell, you might recall Taremi was nominated for the Puskas award for an audacious overhead kick for Porto against Chelsea in the Champions League back in 2021. We wouldn’t mind seeing another of those at this tournament.
Play style:
Pragmatic, defensive… you get the picture. This is likely a nightmare to read for Belgium fans. Like Egypt, they play a low block but rely more on physicality and aerial prowess to win 1:1 duels.
They deploy a double pivot to protect the centre backs and trigger transitions. Like Egypt they’re happy to let the opposition have the ball, but unlike Egypt they’re happier hitting direct balls to initiate quick vertical counters and rely on their target man Taremi to either hold it up or go direct himself. His clinicality makes the whole style work, because they’re not relying on chance creation or saturating the opposition defence, instead picking their moments to strike and relying on Taremi to make it work.
Expected formation:
Almost certainly a 4-2-3-1. Rigid and structurally sound.
Chances:
It’s a bit of a tussle between them, Egypt and possibly Belgium. I think they have a chance, but I expect the quality and movement of Salah will cause more problems than Iran can. I expect them to finish third in the group behind either Egypt or Belgium, depending on who comes out on top of their head to head.
***
New Zealand
I always love to see New Zealand at a World Cup. This is their first appearance since South Africa 2010.
They qualified flawlessly from their OFC second round qualifying games with a goal difference of +18 against some of the minnow nations of their confederation (8-1 against Vanuatu for example).
In the third round, they beat Fiji and then New Caledonia to qualify for the tournament proper. Smaller opposition than they will face at the World Cup, and it’s questionable how they’ll fare against elite opposition, but Chris Wood has experience of playing at a high level in England and you wouldn’t rule out his potential to cause problems if they can keep it tight at the back.
Play style:
New Zealand to their credit try to play a progressive style of football and often set up to build from the back and create patient patterns of play on the attack, while pressing actively and high up the pitch when off the ball.
They look to create passing triangles in wide areas and exploit the space left by opposition, perhaps underrating their technicality, although this has to be taken with the caveat that this style of play has been rarely tested by them against top level opposition. It’s easier to pass your way around New Caledonia than Belgium.
We worry they won’t be able to find the dominance they’ve been used to and may end up having to set up much more pragmatically. A huge shift in play style right before a tournament never usually ends well.
They look to find ways to get Chris Wood into prime positions so that he can use his number 9 prowess to cause nightmares for defenses. We think of his skill in the air, first and foremost, but from his time in England we also know how devastating he can be in the box around low crosses. A real danger man.
Expected formation:
4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, building from the back, overloading on the flanks and utilising Wood to good effect.
Chances:
It’s probably going to be too much for New Zealand given the gulf in standings between them and their next-ranked opposition Iran. I expect that despite giving it a good go, we might see New Zealand play themselves into trouble fairly easily and they should end up bottom of this group. They may not even pick up a single point.
The Tournament Scout’s Prediction
Controversial prediction time:
Egypt win the group
Belgium in 2nd place after losing the head to head with Egypt in a gritty game
Iran in 3rd
New Zealand in 4th
19 min read