An intriguing battle awaits in Group G of the FIFA World Cup with Belgium all set to face Egypt at the Seattle Stadium on Monday.
While Belgium have a more talented squad, they will face an Egypt team who are cohesive and will be tough to break down. The match will also see Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah on the field -- both became global superstars thanks to their exploits with Manchester City and Liverpool respectively in the Premier League.
While the two might not be at their best at the moment, it will still be a treat to see the two legends battling in the middle.
Here's everything you need to know about the game.
How to watch:
The match will be available on BBC in the UK, Fox Sports in the U.S., Zee5 in India and SBS in Australia. You can also follow ESPN's live updates.
Key Details:
Date, kick-off time:
U.S. ET: 3 p.m. Monday, June 15
UK BST: 8 p.m., Monday, June 15
India IST: 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 16
Australia AEST: 5 a.m., Tuesday, June 16
Venue: Seattle Stadium, Seattle
Referee: Ramon Abatti of Brazil.
Team News
Belgium
Jérémy Doku left a training session early on Tuesday after experiencing some breathing issues but he return to practice later, easing the concerns.
Predicted XI: 4-2-3-1
GK: Thibaut Courtois
LB: Maxim De Cuyper; CB: Brandon Mechele, CB: Nathan Ngoy, RB: Thomas Meunier
CM: Amadou Onana; CM: Youri Tielemans
LW: Jérémy Doku, CAM: Kevin De Bruyne, RW: Leandro Trossard
CF:Charles De Ketelaere
Egypt
No big injury concerns.
Predicted XI: 4-2-3-1
GK: Mostafa Ahmed Shobeir
LB: Ahmed Abou El Fotouh; CB: Hamdy Fathy; CB: Yasser Ibrahim; RB: Mohamed Hany
CM: Marwan Ateya; CM: Mohanad Lasheen
LW: Trezeguet; CAM: Emam Ashour; RW: Mohamed Salah
CF: Omar Marmoush
Talking Points
Doku and Courtois will be key for Belgium
After the highs of the golden generation in 2018, Belgium regressed and went out in group stages of the World Cup four years later. This time, they will look to go beyond but will need big contributions from two of their most important players -- Jérémy Doku and Thibaut Courtois.
The squad do have other influential players, like Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Youri Tielemans and Leandro Trossard but Doku and Courtois' performances will give them the edge. Doku is coming into the World Cup after a superb season with Manchester City, helping them win two domestic trophies and while being instrumental in pushing his team in the league title battle with Arsenal. His attacking threat from left was never in question, now his finishing also improved which makes him one of the best wingers in the world.
On the other end, Courtois' club Real Madrid might have had an ordinary season by their standards and Senne Lammens emerged with Manchester United but there's no denying that the Belgian is still counted as one of the best goalkeepers playing at the moment. Belgium's back line could be their weak point and that's why they will depend heavily on Courtois. He's also a big game player, upping his standards in the crucial moments.
Can Salah turnaround his form?
Mohamed Salah didn't have the best of seasons with Liverpool. Off the field too, he had his troubles and eventually his nine-year reign with the club came to an end.
His prowess may be waning but he can still make significant attacking contributions. Salah is more or less the identity of this Egypt team. They will depend heavily on his creativity from the right and of course his finishing. He scored over 300 goals playing for European clubs and is just three short of becoming Egypt's highest-ever scorer. He has 67 from 115 games while the current national team manager Hossam Hassan is topping the charts at 69.
Now that the Liverpool pressure is off, Salah can play with renewed vigour. Not that he needs to, but Salah can show clubs who are interested in signing him that he can still deliver at the highest level.