How to Watch FIFA World Cup 2018 Live Online TV Coverage
The 2018 World Cup is in full as day 10 of the game’s biggest competition gets under way in Russia.
Switzerland brought yesterday’s action to a close, beating Serbia 2-1 after initially falling behind. Today sees Belgium kick off proceedings against Tunisia before attention turns to South Korea vs Mexico. Current champions Germany close the curtain at 7pm when they take on Sweden.
We’ll also have all the latest from Repino where Gareth Southgate’s England are putting in their final preparations ahead of their Group G opener against Tunisia in Volgograd on Monday.
Follow all latest news, views, pictures and video direct from Russia throughout the day as we pick up the pace at the biggest football tournament in the world:Belgium and Tunisia square off in an important Group G fixture on Saturday at 8:00 a.m. ET in the 2018 World Cup. Belgium enters as the leaders of Group G and will look to inch closer to the Round of 16 with a victory at Spartak Stadium. Belgium is a -300 favorite on the money line against Tunisia, meaning you'd need to wager $300 on a Belgian victory to win $100. Tunisia enters this fixture at +920 (risk $100 to win $920), while a draw is +380. The Over-Under on total goals scored in this 2018 World Cup match is 2.5. Belgium has 8-1 World Cup odds to win it all, while Tunisia is 2,000-1.
Before you make your 2018 World Cup picks, you need to see what European football expert David Sumpter has to say.
Sumpter is an applied mathematician who wrote "Soccermatics," the book that shows how math works inside the game. Together with experienced analysts, Sumpter developed the powerful Soccerbot model.
The Soccerbot reads all team performance data, calculates key metrics and predicts upcoming matches. In the two-and-a-half seasons since it was born, the Soccerbot is up an impressive 1,800 percent on bookmakers' closing odds.
The Soccerbot already called Argentina-Iceland ending in a draw (+385), Brazil-Switzerland playing to a draw (+360), Iran (+275) upsetting Morocco and Senegal (+220) topping Poland, just to name a few of its spot-on 2018 World Cup picks.
Now, Sumpter's model has examined Belgium-Tunisia and generated money-line and over-under picks.
We can tell you he's leaning over, but his more confident pick is on the money line. He's only sharing it over at SportsLine.
Sumpter knows Belgium enters this match full of confidence after scoring three goals in the second half against Panama in its opener. Romelu Lukaku scored twice in Belgium's victory and will look to continue his superb form with a strong performance against Tunisia. In fact, Lukaku has scored 15 goals in his last 10 international matches.
This will be the second time Belgium and Tunisia have met at the World Cup, and the previous meeting ended in a 1-1 draw. If Belgium can secure three points against Tunisia, it will all but stamp its ticket to the Round of 16. Belgium has made it past the opening group stage in six of its last seven World Cup appearances.
But Tunisia, making its fifth World Cup appearance, showed in its opener that it won't be intimidated by a European heavyweight. Ferjani Sassi's penalty shot tied England 1-1 in the 35th minute. The Eagles of Carthage then dug in defensively and were moments away from earning a draw until Harry Kane's header in extra time.
Led by creative midfielder Wahbi Khazri, Tunisia thrives on the counter-attack. The Eagles of Carthage know they can play with Europe's best: They played Portugal to a 2-2 draw and lost narrowly to Spain in their final World Cup tuneups before the near-miss against England.
So which hungry nation wins Saturday? Or does it end in a draw? Visit SportsLine now to see the strong Belgium-Tunisia money-line pick, all from a European football expert whose powerful model is up 1,800 percent in less than three years.
World Cup
Thomas Meunier weaved his way through the Tunisia defence before sliding a clever ball through to Lukaku, who dinked it over the onrushing goalkeeper.
Tunisia were hit by injury in the first half, with goalscorer Bronn stretchered off, and Syam Ben Youssef also forced from the field.
The Belgians want to win at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow to avoid making their final group game against England on June 28 a make-or-break qualification affair.
STARTING XIs
Belgium
Thibaut Courtois; Toby Alderweireld, Dedryck Boyata, Jan Vertonghen; Thomas Meunier, Axel Witsel, Kevin De Bruyne, Yannick Carrasco; Eden Hazard (capt), Dries Mertens; Romelu Lukaku
Tunisia
Farouk Mustapha; Syam Ben Youssef, Yassine Meriah, Fakhreddine Ben Youssef, Ali Maaloul; Dylan Bronn, Ellyes Skhiri, Ferjani Sassi; Saif-Eddine Khaoui, Wahbi Khazri (capt), Anice Badri
LIVE MATCH CENTRE: SCORES AND STATS
World Cup
Group Stage
“It is a worry that in any of those tackles he could really get hurt,” said Belgium’s Spanish coach. “It doesn’t worry me if that is just their way of trying to stop him.” History favours the Belgians.
They are yet to lose to African opposition at a World Cup, while Tunisia have never beaten a European side at a finals.How to follow:
Watch live on BBC One from 14:10 BST; listen on BBC Radio 5 live; text commentary on the BBC Sport website
Midfielder Dele Alli returned to training with England, but is likely to miss Sunday's World Cup Group G game against Panama.
The Tottenham player, 22, suffered a thigh injury during Monday's 2-1 win over Tunisia.
Pictures of assistant manager Steve Holland's training notes seemed to indicate Ruben Loftus-Cheek would replace him in England's starting XI.
Sunday's match in Nizhny Novgorod is live on BBC One from 12:10 BST.
Alli has trained alone for the past three days and manager Gareth Southgate said the player was "unlikely" to be fit for England's second group game.
He started training with the main group on Saturday but was withdrawn after warm-ups to work individually.
World Cup debutants Panama were beaten 3-0 by Belgium in their opening match.
England v Panama: Five things to look out for
Media must choose whether to help England - Southgate
Kompany is a class act - Stones
OVERVIEW
Harry Kane's last-minute intervention got England off to a flying start and gave them a win in their opening game of a major tournament for the first time since the 2006 World Cup, when they beat Paraguay. At times against Tunisia it wasn't pretty, or perfect, but with a bit more luck, composure and favourable decisions they would have won with ease.
The Panamanians played to type in their opening game with Belgium. Los Canaleros (The Canal Men) were aggressive, robust, but ultimately hugely outclassed. The Belgians knew they had been in a game, though, and complained afterwards about some of the tackles that were flying in.
"I don't know what people are complaining about," captain Roman Torres said. "Football is like that - you always have to impose yourself, you have to mark out your territory."
Their coach Hernan Dario Gomez was in charge of Colombia when they lost 2-0 to England at France 1998. His opposite number in Nizhny Novgorod on Sunday, Gareth Southgate, was on the bench.
VIEW FROM BOTH CAMPS
England manager Gareth Southgate: "To play with the freedom, energy and pace that we did was as good as anything I have seen in the tournament up to this point.
"Every team will want to improve but we hit a level that is comparable to anything that I've seen. The team that we selected for the first game performed as well as I can remember us playing with the ball in the first hour of the game."
Panama defender Harold Cummings: "We are going there to play hard.
"We are going there to compete. We will do our job against any team we face."
LAWRO'S PREDICTION
When I was at their game against Belgium in Sochi, I saw that Panama will give everything they have got, but we also saw their limitations as a team.
England should beat them easily enough and I don't see them having too many problems, especially after they make the initial breakthrough.
