Two great powerhouses meet in League A Group 4 of the UEFA Nations League on Thursday. Wales will travel to Belgium for Thursday 22 September’s matchup in hopes of winning and moving up the standings.
- WATCH BELGIUM VS. WALES FREE HERE
In June, the two nations drew 1-1 but Wales otherwise struggled and finished bottom of the group. Belgium is second with seven points, while the Netherlands sit first with 10 points, having suffered no defeat so far.
The game will take place at 2:45pm ET at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium and will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1. Viewers who want to stream the game can watch it for free with fuboTV or DirecTV Stream. Both services offer free trials.
How to watch Belgium vs Wales | UEFA Nations League 2022 | League A Group 4
What time does the game start? How can you see it on TV? – Thursday game starts at 2:45pm EST. Fans can watch the game on Fox Sports 1 or stream it online via fuboTV available on smart TVs and streaming devices.
Information about the live stream: fuboTV or DirecTV – The game can be streamed via fuboTV or Fox Sports Live. Fubo and DirecTV offer a seven-day free trial.
More Nations League coverage from Associated Press:
Gareth Southgate is unlikely to worry about impending relegation from the Nations League elite.
What could worry the England manager far more are the fitness issues, poor form or weak club status of some of his key players two months before the World Cup.
From the side that faced Italy in last year’s EURO final, Manchester United defenders Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw were left out, and central midfielder Kalvin Phillips needs shoulder surgery and could miss the World Cup.
Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford is out injured, centre-back John Stones played at right-back for Manchester City and midfielders Declan Rice and Mason Mount have been in stunning form for West Ham and Chelsea in the first six weeks of the Premier League.
So Southgate has a lot to think about when it comes to games against Italy – on Friday in Milan – and Germany – on Monday at London’s Wembley – in a Nations League group where England lie bottom after two draws and two defeats – Stadium – go.
Another defeat in Italy will see England relegated to the second division of the UEFA tournament, which will not least hurt the Southgate side’s pride.
It’s the bigger picture – essentially the World Cup – that’s key for Southgate and what he’s effectively judged by, with some critics swinging by him after a shock 4-0 home loss to Hungary in England’s last game.
Southgate wants to see a reaction in the coming week.
“I won’t speak for the manager but I’m sure he has certain players who will 100% go to the World Cup and then of course there are certain places and numbers that are still up for grabs,” said the England midfielder said Jack Grealish.
“We have two games now that are going to be very tough and that’s really like your camp before the World Cup. We said before, before the EURO, that we had a good couple of weeks with training sessions and good friendlies and we won’t achieve that this time. But everyone is in the same boat, so we have to embrace it and look forward to it.”
Nick Pope is likely to step in for Pickford, who should be back soon after the international break, while Jude Bellingham could be favorite to replace Phillips after cementing his burgeoning reputation with strong performances for Borussia Dortmund.
At 19, Bellingham has so much potential and Rice – a central midfield suspension under Southgate – plans to play alongside the teenager for a decade.
“I hope that for the next 10 years we can go on and have a special, special bond in the middle of the court,” Rice said.
“He’s energetic, he’s strong, has confidence, not fear,” Rice added. “As a 19-year-old, he has everything, you know. He’s a man, he’s played at the big events.”
Maguire will start, while Southgate will have to choose between Shaw and Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell at left-back, neither of whom have seen much playing time lately.
“It’s not ideal,” Southgate said of some of his key players who don’t play for their clubs, “but we believe they have been and can be important players for us. It’s not a perfect situation, but there’s still a lot of football to be played before Qatar.”
Still in shock at not qualifying for a World Cup for the second straight year, European champions Italy are trying to regain some respect. That process could begin with reaching the Final Four of the Nations League.
Hungary lead by seven points, one more than Germany, and meet in Leipzig on Friday. Italy has five points and England has two.
“We know we owe our fans something,” said Italy center forward Ciro Immobile. “In difficult times, the national team was a common bond for everyone and we saw how united Italy was during the European Championship. We have to start again from there.”
Immobile, who was criticized for failing to score in World Cup qualifiers, considered retiring from the national team.
“As the weeks went by, I realized that others shouldn’t decide my fate,” he said. “I still have a lot to give”
Italy are missing midfielder Marco Verratti and winger Federico Chiesa through injury.
