2018 World Cup Team Profiles: Group G

In the seventh edition of our World Cup Team Profiles, Group G takes its turn. Do Tunisia or Panama stand a chance against the raw power & sheer talent of England and Belgium? Let's take a look.

Want to hear more about these groups? Check out our Betting on the World Cup Podcast! You can listen to Stats Insider staff go in deep on each group. Here's their Group G & H Preview.

Average Group Outcome (According to Stats Insider Models):
England
Belgium
Tunisia
Panama

BELGIUM

Average Finishing Place In Group: 2nd
Odds to Qualify from Group (Percentage Chance): $1.18 (84.5%)
Odds to Win Group (Percentage Chance): $2.23 (44.9%)
Odds to Finish Bottom of Group (Percentage Chance): $35.20 (2.8%)
Odds to Win World Cup: $13.00 (7.7%)

Belgium comes into the tournament amidst huge expectations. They were unbeaten in qualifying, smashing in forty-three goals in ten games and recording twenty-eight from a possible thirty points. But a lack of depth in certain positions mean they need things to break the right way if they are going to win it all this summer.

Marc Wilmots was replaced by Roberto Martínez after the Belgians floundered at EURO 2016, but the Spaniard will have questions linger over him until he achieves something real & genuine with this group. Can he make Belgium bigger than the sum of their parts, and succeed where Wilmots failed?

There’s plenty of talent to choose from. Thibaut Courtois anchors the team in goal, with Vincent Kompany, Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen combining for one of the best defences in the world. Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku help form a devastating attack that is hard to stop when replicating their respective club form.

Keep your eye on: this is Kevin De Bruyne’s moment. Lukaku is already his country’s all-time top scorer. Hazard has always performed for Belgium, but De Bruyne is yet to replicate the performances for his nation that he does for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. His passing is a joy to behold and he is one of the world’s best playmakers either as a number ten or deep in midfield. Can he find his best football this summer?

PANAMA

Average Finishing Place In Group: 4th
Odds to Qualify from Group (Percentage Chance): $9.21 (10.9%)
Odds to Win Group (Percentage Chance): $33.33 (3.0%)
Odds to Finish Bottom of Group (Percentage Chance): $1.68 (59.4%)
Odds to Win World Cup: $9000 (0.0%)

Panama, a nation of just 4 million souls, enters the World Cup as one of it’s biggest underdogs, as Hernán Darío Gómez leads a nation who finished behind Mexico and Costa Rica. Gómez has built an experienced team that is difficult to beat.

Gómez’s men play a physical brand of football that is hard to match, with their physicality perhaps making up for a lack of skill. Román Torres is a defensive lynchpin, who also scored the vital goal that secured qualification from CONCACAF. He is superb in the air and leads the defence superbly, whilst Gabriel Gómez is the key man in midfield, slotted alongside do-it-all workhorse Armando Cooper.

Alberto Quintero provides creativity in attack for the likes of Blas Pérez and Gabriel Torres. Without a doubt, the Panamanians are up against it in Group G, but they’ll go into their first World Cup with nothing to lose, and that is always a dangerous proposition.

Keep your eye on: Gabriel Gómez might be the key man for Panama alongside Torres. Though he has just passed his 34th birthday, the midfielder is at the hub of everything good about Panama. He’ll need to lead them well if they are going to cause any upsets in Russia.

TUNISIA

Average Finishing Place In Group: 3rd
Odds to Qualify from Group (Percentage Chance): $5.34 (18.7%)
Odds to Win Group (Percentage Chance): $23.15 (4.3%)
Odds to Finish Bottom of Group (Percentage Chance): $2.86 (34.9%)
Odds to Win World Cup: $1500 (0.1%)

The Eagles of Carthage are back in the World Cup after a 12-year absence, with an unbeaten Tunisian qualifying campaign securing their place in impressive style. It wasn’t without controversy though, with Nabil Maâloul leading them to the World Cup after Henryk Kasperczak was sacked after a Quarter Final exit at the 2017 African Cup of Nations.

Alongside Panama, in Group G they enter as huge underdogs, and will likely find possession hard to come by against the likes of Belgium and England. Tunisia like to open the game up and attack from the flanks so expect exciting contests when they are involved, though they sometimes invert their 4-2-3-1 formation to a more conservative 4-3-2-1 against attacking opposition.

Cameroon, Algeria, Ghana and the Ivory Coast all didn’t make the World Cup, so the Tunisians are due some credit. They are huge underdogs, but they shouldn’t be counted out. Naïm Sliti will be a player to watch in the tournament, and he is currently playing for French side Lille.

Keep your eye on: Youssef Msakni is the star man of this Tunisian outfit. Msakni, who plies his trade for Qatari side Al-Duhail is a talented attacker who carries this team’s attack. He bagged three goals and two assists in qualifying, and he’ll be relied on to create with the few chances given to him.

ENGLAND

Average Finishing Place In Group: 1st
Odds to Qualify from Group (Percentage Chance): $1.16 (85.9%)
Odds to Win Group (Percentage Chance): $2.09 (47.8%)
Odds to Finish Bottom of Group (Percentage Chance): $35.70 (2.8%)
Odds to Win World Cup: $12.81 (7.8%)

It’s hard to believe with all of England’s constant failures at International level that they’ve not lost a qualifier since 2009 (39 games without defeat), yet here they are. Gareth Southgate has had an interesting first 12 months or so in charge, moving on Wayne Rooney from the side and building around a more youthful core, particularly in attack.

There are still huge doubts about this England side, such is their reputation for disappointment. Harry Kane will get his moment to shine in attack, and we will see how much of his incredible club form for Tottenham translates to the International stage. He’ll be ably assisted by the likes of Raheem Sterling, Jesse Lingard, Dele Alli, Jamie Vardy, Danny Welbeck and Marcus Rashford, who will be a player to keep your eye on.

Kyle Walker and Danny Rose will likely be starting in defence, with John Stones, Harry Maguire, Gary Cahill and Phil Jones to battle it out for the starting spots alongside them.

Keep your eye on: this is Harry Kane’s chance to cement himself as one of the world’s best players. When he was called a one season wonder, he responded. When he was told he couldn’t do it in the Champions League, he responded. So can he do the same at International level, with the additional burden of the English captaincy? Time will tell.

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