Belgium vs Egypt – Match preview and team news
· Yahoo Sports
Belgium begin their FIFA World Cup journey in their first Group G fixture on Monday against Egypt at the Seattle Stadium.
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Belgium vs Egypt – Match preview and team news
- Date: Monday, 15th June.
- Kick-off: 8pm BST.
- Venue: Seattle Stadium, Washington.
Belgium team news
Belgium faces a defensive puzzle for their opening World Cup match as centre-back Zeno Debast is sidelined with a leg injury.
While he remains with the squad, he is not expected to feature until later in the tournament. This absence forces coach Rudi Garcia to field a somewhat makeshift back four, likely pairing Brandon Mechele and Joel Ngoy in central defence.
Aside from Debast, the rest of the Red Devils squad is fully fit and available for selection. The main tactical decision revolves around the attacking spearhead.
Rudi Garcia must choose between starting veteran striker Romelu Lukaku or deploying Charles De Ketelaere as a false nine.
The team is expected to set up in an aggressive 4-2-3-1 formation, relying heavily on the creative brilliance of Kevin De Bruyne and the explosive wing play of Jeremy Doku to break down the Egyptian defence.
Egypt team news
Egypt enters their World Cup opener with a completely healthy roster and high spirits. Mohamed Salah has fully recovered from a hamstring injury suffered in late April, having safely shaken off any rust with a forty-five-minute appearance in a recent warm-up friendly against Brazil.
Salah will captain the Pharaohs from his usual spot on the right wing. Coach Hossam Hassan has a wealth of options and is expected to set up his team to absorb pressure and strike quickly on the counter-attack.
The frontline will be incredibly dangerous, featuring the dual threat of Salah and the in-form Omar Marmoush.
With central defenders Mohamed Abdelmonem and Yasser Ibrahim anchoring a sturdy backline, Egypt aims to frustrate the Belgian attackers while using their blistering pace out wide to exploit spaces left open on the break.
Form
Belgium
Belgium enters the tournament in sensational form after going unbeaten through a dominant qualifying run. Their momentum continued into their warm-up friendlies. They secured a 2-0 victory against Croatia before completely dismantling Tunisia in a stellar 5-0 shutout performance just last week. Armed with an incredibly potent attack and high squad confidence, the Red Devils look sharp, cohesive, and ready to establish themselves as early tournament favourites.
Egypt
Egypt arrives on the world stage on the back of a highly impressive qualifying campaign, where they effortlessly topped their group under manager Hossam Hassan. Their preparation matches yielded mixed but highly encouraging results against elite global sides. The Pharaohs held powerhouse Spain to a gritty 0-0 draw, defeated Russia 1-0, and showed resilience in a narrow 2-1 defeat to Brazil. Their disciplined defensive structure makes them tough opponents.
Predicted lineups
Belgium: Courtois; Meunier, Mechele, Ngoy, Castagne; Onana, Tielemans; Trossard, De Bruyne, Doku; De Ketelaere.
Egypt: Shobeir; Hany, Abdelmonem, Ibrahim, El Fotouh; Lasheen, Ateya; Salah, Ashour, Trezeguet; Marmoush.
How to watch Belgium vs Egypt?
In the UK, you can watch the match live on BBC One.
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