Belgium and Egypt begin their World Cup campaign with a Group G clash at Seattle Stadium.
Both teams are considered favourites to get out of the group and will be keen to set the early tone here.
However, the Red Devils have shown a bit more consistency lately and should have the edge in this one.
Key Stats
- Belgium are unbeaten in their last 13 matches in all competitions.
- Belgium have won four of their last five matches in all competitions.
- Egypt are winless in four of their last six matches in all competitions.
Egypt with the Upper Hand
Egypt have the upper hand in the head-to-head, having won three of the four previous matches. The most recent meeting was a friendly in 2022, which ended 2-1 in favour of the North Africans.
Time Running out for Belgium's Golden Generation
Belgium head into the World Cup with time quickly running out for their golden generation, who are yet to fulfill their promise on the international stage.
The likes of Thibaut Courtois, Kevin de Bruyne, and Romelu Lukaku are probably heading into their final major tournament and will be keen to close out this era with some silverware.
The Red Devils had a good qualifying campaign, finishing unbeaten in their group, with five wins and three draws from eight matches. Their overall form has also been solid lately, with four wins in their last five matches across all competitions.
While Belgium still boast their attacking quality, they have developed some defensive solidity under manager Rudi Garcia, keeping clean sheets in their last two matches.
Among their recent results is a 2-0 triumph over Croatia, while they knocked off another North African side in their final warm-up game, claiming a 5-0 victory over Egypt.
Salah’s Last Ride
Egypt’s situation is also similar to the Belgians, with captain and talisman Mohamed Salah most likely heading into his final international tournament. The former Liverpool forward will be keen to have one last hurrah with the national team in North America.
Qualifying was smooth enough for Egypt, who were also unbeaten in the CAF campaign, with eight wins and two draws from 10 matches. However, their recent form has been a bit underwhelming, with Hossam Hassan's team winless in four of their last six matches in all competitions.
Egypt’s build-up to the World Cup saw them claim a 1-0 victory over Russia and hold out for a 0-0 draw with Spain. However, the Pharaohs suffered a 2-1 defeat to Brazil in their final pre-tournament fixture.
Team News and Predicted Line-ups
Belgium (4-2-3-1): Thibaut Courtois; Thomas Meunier, Koni de Winter, Brandon Mechele, Maxim de Cuyper; Youri Tielemans, Amadou Onana; Leandro Trossard, Kevin de Bruyne, Jeremy Doku; Charles de Ketelaere.
De Ketelaere led the line for Belgium in a number of friendlies, with Lukaku coming off the bench, and that dynamic is likely to continue here. De Winter could also be given the nod at centre-back after sitting out the win over Tunisia.
Egypt (4-2-3-1): Oufa Shobeir; Karim Hafez, Mohamed Abdelmonem, Yasser Ibrahim, Mohamed Hany; Mohanad Lasheen, Marwan Attia; Trezeguet, Ziko, Mohamed Salah; Omar Marmoush.
Shobeir has gotten the nod ahead of veteran goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy in recent friendlies and should continue between the sticks. Salah is expected to feature from the start after coming off the bench in the defeat to Brazil.