England vs Senegal: Preview, Odds and Betting Tips - 04/12/2022 (FIFA 2022 World Cup)

A historic match is on the cards for two teams who have a thing for lions; the Three Lions of England and the Teranga Lions of Senegal.

England finished at the top of Group B – their first finish at the top of their World Cup group since 2006 – to set up this game with Senegal, who finished behind the Netherlands in Group A. Both teams will now be looking forward to a meeting which holds much entertainment value for both sets of fans and for all who are following the ongoing 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Both sides have no history between them. This makes it the first meeting and one which is taking place on the grandest stage of them all. Senegal will be playing for pride as they have come into the 2022 World Cup as African champions and a loss to England will see the stock of African football, which has risen in this tournament, drop.

England, on the other hand, have never lost to an African team and African champions or not, they are not willing to let Senegal be the first team to get a result from them, especially with so much at stake.

This gives you an idea of what to expect from the game, which is scheduled to be the fourth of eight round of 16 games in the tournament.

Had these two sides met prior to falling into the same knockout bracket, there would have been valuable data to pool from to make predictions. But their forms are quite enough for the scope of this predictive piece because both teams have given us a lot in three games.

Let us take a look at their form guides and what could happen when they slug it out at Al Bayt Stadium on December 4.

Form Guide: England

England have too much quality in their side and Gareth Southgate has struggled to put them together to create cohesion. It is a good problem for any manager to have as it shows the strength in squad depth available to him.

But it has cost them in the past and they looked vulnerable in all three games of their group stage outing. It is that same quality that also helped them score nine goals to make them one of the highest goalscorers in the tournament's group stages. They have two players on two goals and above and also a diverse goal-scoring cast. Against Senegal, they will be looking forward to unleashing these players.

England manager Gareth Southgate will have four days to figure out his best formation before coming up against Senegal, who are a very physical team. He will also have his work cut out for him when it comes to finishing because England could have scored more if they were able to create better goal-scoring opportunities after penetrating the opponent's area.

Throwing in a couple of physical players will better their chances as well, because the Africans will resort to battling it out for every ball come December 2.

Form Guide: Senegal

Senegal stuttered in their opening game in Group A against a Netherlands side who were unsure of how to approach the game. After matching the Dutch for most of the game, they conceded in the 84th and 99th minute to lose two-nil.

They bounced back excellently well against hosts Qatar, scoring two goals – one just before halftime and another just after the second half began – to put themselves in cruise control. They recovered to restore their two goals lead when Qatar tried to stage a comeback, showing their never-say-die attitude. The same scenario played out against Ecuador in their last group game.

Their ability to bounce back after slipping up will prove important against the English, who will hope to hit them on the counter as often as they hope to work the ball into their penalty area. Aliou Cisse, like Gareth Southgate, will have to work on the team's shot-creation ability or it could be the end of the road for them.

What to expect from the match

Bettors can expect a thrilling match which would see both teams finding the back of the net. England are the favourite based on scoring form and it will be a safe bet to stake on England winning the game.

Betting predictions

Both teams to score

Senegal have five goals in the tournament and like England, have the most diverse cast of goalscorers in the ongoing tournament. Both teams also have players who are strong in the air making them a threat in set-piece situations.

The match will be a case of who outscores the other. A tempting 2.38 odds is on offer via William Hill, with the bookmaker hinting at England dominating the game completely.

Over 2.5 goals

Their recent forms in the tournament suggest that both teams could push each other for goals and one goal apiece would be underselling the game. William Hill have 2.2 odds for at least three goals to be scored.

A goal in the first half – Yes

England often tend to be tame in the first half and go on to explode after the break. However, given all that is at stake and also the quality of their opponents, the directive from Southgate will be for his boys to get on the front foot as early as possible.

On their path, Senegal also boast enough quality to cause an upset and their work will be made easier if they can get on the scoresheet first. With that in mind, expect at least one of both sides to break the deadlock in the first half.

All odds are via William Hill and all info is valid as of the time of writing .

Odds could differ now.

Writer – Dex Easthaven