Table-toppers Belgium face African giants Senegal in the FIFA World Cup round of 32 at Seattle Stadium on Wednesday. The Red Devils have never played against the Lions of Teranga.

Belgium topped Group G with two draws and a victory in their three games. They drew 1-1 with Egypt in their opening game before a goalless stalemate with Iran, conditioned by a second-half red card for Nathan Ngoy.

Criticism was building that the Red Devils are not the same team of old, and that they were not capable of scoring after only one goal netted in two, and that being an own goal.

Rudi Garcia’s men responded with a comprehensive 5-1 victory over New Zealand in their final group-stage game, and those five points were enough to see them top the group, with Egypt second in Group G.

They will hope to build on that winning momentum to secure a victory over the Lions of Teranga.

Meanwhile, Senegal performed a late escape in Group I to be the only team on three points across all the groups progressing to the knockout rounds.

After losing their first two games, 3-1 to France and 3-2 to Norway, Senegal were considered by most to be out of the running for a top-eight spot among the third-placed teams, but they chose to fight on and thrashed Iraq 5-0 in the final group-stage game.

That stunning scoreline earned them the three points and turned their goal difference positive to +2, allowing them to move ahead of South Korea, Scotland, and Iran (the other third-placed teams on three points) and into the next round.

The Lions of Teranga have received a lifeline, and they are determined not to waste it against their Belgian opponents. They conceded three times in their two group games against European opposition, and they will need to tighten up their backline if they are to eliminate the Red Devils.

The winner of this match will return to Seattle Stadium for a round-of-16 encounter with either co-hosts the USA or Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Belgium vs Senegal head-to-head stats and key numbers

• Belgium and Senegal have never played against each other in an international football match.
• Senegal have qualified for the World Cup four times, while Belgium are taking part in their 15th World Cup tournament.
• Romelu Lukaku continues to push his impressive record as Belgium’s leading goalscorer, with his goal against New Zealand making it 91 goals in 129 appearances.

Belgium vs Senegal prediction

We expect the Red Devils to dominate possession and use the pace and creativity of wingers Leandro Trossard and Jeremy Doku to take on the Senegalese defenders, isolating them in one-on-one situations before shooting or making the final pass to the Belgian strikers in goal-scoring positions.

They will also count on the tournament experience of veterans Kevin De Bruyne and Lukaku to guide them through the tricky moments in a knockout match.

Senegal are likely to use their typical aggressive approach to make the most of their physicality, winning the ball back and launching quick counterattacks to hurt Belgium. The Lions of Teranga have shown some vulnerabilities at the back during the group stage, and they will need to be more compact and disciplined if they are to stop Belgium from scoring.

We expect this to be a tight encounter, with the Belgians clinching a narrow victory.

Prediction: Belgium 2-1 Senegal

Belgium vs Senegal betting tips

Tip 1: Belgium to win

Tip 2: Both teams to score

Tip 3: Over 2.5 goals