The Belgian national team is approaching the playoffs as nominal favorites, but its path to the 1/16 finals was far from ideal. The Red Devils won their group, but two opening draws with Egypt and Iran (1:1 and 0:0) revealed problems in organizing attacks. Only the defeat of New Zealand (5:1) smoothed out the impression a little, but the Belgian defensive line still looks vulnerable, and their star leaders, including De Bruyne and Lukaku, only regained their form in the last round. Beating the "forgiving" New Zealanders can create a false sense of confidence.
Senegal, in turn, performed a small miracle by making it into the playoffs from third place, with only three points to its name. After defeats from France and Norway, the Terang Lions defeated Iraq (5:0), showing character and attacking potential. Despite the internal problems in the team, the Senegalese have fast and powerful players who can punish the slow Belgian defense. In a playoff match, where the cost of error is greatest, their discipline and physical readiness can be the deciding factor.
Given the instability of the Belgian defense and the increased confidence of the Senegalese, one cannot count on an easy victory for the Red Devils. The match promises to be tough, and Senegal is quite capable of at least not losing in regulation time.
