Belgium are no longer the team that were tipped to win the World Cup ‘soon’ owing to the calibre of players in their squad. The team, which  finished third in the 2018 edition of the World Cup have been going down steadily as their main characters legs get tired with age,

Today they will meet Senegal for the first time in a World Cup knockout clash, with both nations battling for a place in the last 16 after tough group stages.

Rudi Garcia’s side eventually topped Group G, but their route to the knockout stages was far from convincing. Draws against Egypt and Iran left the Red Devils facing the prospect of elimination before a ruthless 5-1 victory over New Zealand secured first place and restored confidence ahead of the business end of the tournament.

That timely win also saw Belgium become the first European nation since England at Italia ‘90 to win a World Cup group despite failing to win either of their opening two matches.

Arsenal forward Leandro Trossard inspired the turnaround with a first-half brace as Garcia’s attacking players finally found their rhythm.

Senegal arrived in Seattle having scraped into the knockout rounds as one of the tournament’s third-placed finishers.

Consecutive defeats to France and Norway left Pape Thiaw’s side with little margin for error, but they delivered a statement performance by thrashing Iraq 5-0 on Matchday Three.

In the process, Senegal became the first African nation to score five goals in a single FIFA World Cup match, with Papa Gueye netting twice from the bench despite Sadio Mané being unable to find the net.

Senegal progressed with just three points, making them the only third-placed side to qualify with a single victory.

This encounter also marks the first-ever meeting between Belgium and Senegal at any level, making it an even more intriguing World Cup knockout tie.

Belgium have few injury concerns heading into the contest, with Thibaut Courtois set to continue between the posts as he earns another World Cup appearance.

Zeno Debast is a doubt for the match after suffering a leg injury, although the defender returned to training earlier this week.

Garcia has no shortage of attacking options. Trossard leads Belgium’s scoring charts with two goals, while Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Alexis Saelemaekers have all found the net during the group stage.

Senegal have been dealt a significant setback with first-choice goalkeeper Edouard Mendy expected to miss the match after suffering a knee sprain against Norway.

The Al-Ahli shot-stopper has since left the national team camp for further assessment, leaving Yehvann Diouf and Mory Diaw to battle for the starting spot in goal.

Further forward, Kalidou Koulibaly could again find himself among the substitutes after Abdoulaye Seck impressed during the win over Iraq. Ismaïla Sarr is expected to lead the attack alongside Sadio Mané, whose experience remains crucial despite his quiet group-stage campaign.

Belgium desperately needed someone to take responsibility when their World Cup campaign threatened to unravel, and Trossard delivered exactly that against New Zealand.

His first-half brace settled any nerves before Belgium went on to score five, taking his tournament tally to two goals and establishing him as Garcia’s most dangerous attacking outlet.

The Arsenal forward’s ability could prove decisive against a Senegal defence that has looked vulnerable throughout the group stage.

Although Sadio Mané did not get on the scoresheet in Senegal’s 5-0 win over Iraq, the former Liverpool forward remains the team’s biggest attacking threat.

His creativity and experience in major tournaments make him the player Belgium will be most concerned about keeping quiet, particularly on the counter-attack where Senegal are at their most dangerous.

With Edouard Mendy likely absent and Senegal expected to spend periods without possession, Mané’s ability to produce moments of quality will give Senegal every chance of causing an upset.

The match will be played at Seattle Stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States.