The winner of the clash between Senegal and Colombia this coming Thursday would assure themselves of participation in the round of 16. The Lions of Teranga are coming off a barnburner with Japan, while Colombia is on the heels of a comprehensive victory over Poland. Will Senegal get that three points? Or will Colombia continue showing off their dialed-in form to get another win? Read on for a preview of this intriguing match between the two squads.
Senegal’s offense has been flying of late. The Lions of Teranga have scored two goals in each of their first two matches, which includes their 2-2 draw with Japan last Sunday. Having said that, Senegal’s back line need to fix some issues. They seem to be forgetting how defense works while putting most of their focus on offense. In fact, Japan won the possession battle with control of the ball 54 percent of the match. Giving that much possession to Colombia could prove fatal for Senegal, who gave up two goals to Japan despite their Asian counterparts getting off only seven shots (three on target) compared to Senegal’s 14 shots (seven on target). Senegal forward Sadio Mane found the back of the net against Japan and was a relentless threat upfront, which he’ll look to be again this Thursday in Samara.
Betting on Columbia (-128)
Columbia comes across as a team who could fight fire with fire against Senegal. If it’s just about offense, Los Cafeteros have the weapons to exploit Senegal’s seemingly leaky defense. In their most recent outing, Colombia mercilessly punished Poland in a 3-0 victory. Three different players scored for Colombia, and while James Rodriguez was not among those who netted a score, he had an astonishing assist that resulted in a score by Juan Guillermo Cuadrado. Up against a porous Senegal back line, Rodriguez could get his first score of the tournament this Thursday or just continue breaking down defenders to set his teammates up for golden opportunities at the goal. Colombia have blanked three of their last five opponents.
Writer’s Prediction
Colombia engages Senegal in a high-octane, back-and-forth match before eking out a 2-1 victory.
