Following the friendly win over Russia, Belgium are brimming with confidence before this match and there is no doubt the hosts will try to keep the rich vein of form with yet another win. After losing first three qualifying games, Finland coach Markku Kanerva will use this game to test some unproven players, with the result clearly not the priority for him.

Belgium flying high

Widely regarded as one of the most talented national teams in Europe, Belgium had numerous problems over the last few years as they couldn’t find a coach capable of getting the best out of very young but extremely talented players. However, the search seems to be over as Georges Leekens proved he has what it takes to take this team forward, as witnessed by team’s latest results. Following unlucky defeats to Germany and Turkey, Belgium beat Kazakhstan at home and played an entertaining 4:4 draw with Austria, before beating mighty Russia 2:0 away from home. The latest results prove Leekens has found the way to make this team play to their potential and there is no doubt he will want to continue the good run.

Steven Defour and Kevin Mirallas are out with injuries, while Thomas Vermaelen is unlikely to feature. However, with players like Kompany, Fellaini, Hazard and Lukaku in the side, Belgium should win the game with few goals to spare.

Back to the drawing board for Finland

Finland have never been one of the top teams in Europe but they have been showing some potential during the last decade. However, after a very good generation retired from the national team, the Finns found themselves in real problem as there were no young stars capable of stepping up the plate. As a result, the team lost to Moldova, Netherlands and Hungary at the start of the Euro 2012 qualifiers, thus losing all chances to qualify for the final tournament, but that could be a blessing in disguise as coach Markku Kanerva can start preparing the squad for the next qualifying campaign. This is exactly what Kanerva will use this game for as he would rather test some new players than field the best possible team and still lose the game.

With 11 players in the squad with less than 3 caps for the national team, it is more than clear that Kanerva has not called his best players. Tim Sparv, Alexei Eremenko, Roman Eremenko and Mikael Forssell are the only players in this squad who are normally considered first team regulars.’

Verdict

High-flying Belgium should have no problems beating severely weakened Finland side, especially since Georges Leekens is set to field his strongest line-up. Since big home win is a realistic possibility, my advice is to bet on Belgium with -1 Asian handicap.

Our prediction: Belgium to beat -1 Asian handicap

Odds: 2.20 (6/5)

Bookmaker: Bet365