USA have won three of their four matches at the tournament so far
Belgium left it late to knock Senegal out in the last 16 thanks to a Youri Tielemans penalty in extra-time
Recommended bet: Both teams to score @ 8/15 with LiveScore Bet
Mauricio Pochettino was under pressure to take the USA as deep as possible at this World Cup but a berth in the quarter-finals may be beyond reach as his side prepare to face Belgium.
The Red Devils looked down and out against a vibrant Senegal side, trailing 2-0 with just four minutes left, but quickfire goals from Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans took the tie to extra-time before the latter netted the winner.
Date, kick-off time, stadium, competition
Tuesday, July 7th, 1am kick-off time, Lumen Field, Seattle, World Cup last 16
Where to Watch
BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website
Outright Odds
More market odds and predictions
Recommended bet | Stat |
Belgium to win | Belgium have won the last four meetings against the USA |
Both teams to score - Yes | Both teams have scored in three of Belgium’s four matches |
Youri Tielemans over 0.5 shots on target | Tielemans is averaging 0.8 shots on target per-game |
USA over 1.5 goals | USA have scored at least twice in every game so far |
Romelu Lukaku to score any time | Lukaku has scored in Belgium’s last two matches |
Belgium may not have been anywhere near their best against Senegal, but fighting back from two goals down with just minutes to go could well spur the Red Devils on.
The USA will be missing their biggest goal threat in Folarin Balogun, who was sent off against Bosnia in the last 32. The striker had scored three goals in the tournament and his presence will be missed by Pochettino, giving Belgium a major boost in the process.
While the USA will be playing in front of a home crowd, Belgium have won the last four meetings between the two nations and they triumphed 5-2 in the last clash in March.
Despite Belgium having the edge in the head-to-head, backing both teams to score is a good option ahead of this clash.
This bet landed in the last three meetings between the USA and Belgium, while both teams have scored in three of Belgium’s four matches at this World Cup..
For the USA, both teams have scored in two of their four games, with Turkey and Paraguay breaching their defence during the group stages.
The Belgians have several players who head into this clash brimming with confidence, with Tielemans one of those.
Tielemans has been an ever-present under Garcia across all four games of the tournament and came to Belgium’s rescue against Senegal.
With the clock ticking down, the midfielder scored a late equaliser to force extra-time in Seattle. Then, with 120 minutes on the clock, he dispatched a superb penalty to send Belgium through to the last 16. He has averaged 0.8 shots on target per-game at the World Cup.
The USA have been excellent in front of goal in their four matches, scoring at least twice across every single game.
Ten goals in four games is an impressive ratio and backing the USA to score over 1.5 goals against the Belgians offers value.
Lukaku might not be the player he once was, yet the 33-year-old has found the net in his last two matches. He has only started once during the tournament, but his presence off the bench could signal danger for the USA.
Team news
Garcia has no fresh injury concerns ahead of this match. This means he could make a few changes to the starting XI that struggled for 80 or so minutes against Senegal.
Pochettino, on the other hand, has a few issues he will have to contend with.
Balogun is suspended for the tie, which means either Ricardo Pepi or Haji Wright will replace him as the lone striker.
Elsewhere, both Mark McKenzie and Cristian Rodon are doubts due to injury.
Predicted Team Line-Ups
USA (4-2-3-1): Matthew Freese; Alexander Freeman, Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson; Malik Tillman, Tyler Adams; Sergino Dest, Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic; Ricardo Pepi.
Belgium (4-2-3-1): Thibaut Courtois, Thomas Meunier, Brandon Mechele, Arthur Theate, Timothy Castagne; Youri Tielemans, Nicolas Raskin; Leandro Trossard, Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku; Romelu Lukaku.
Stats
Belgium have won the last four meetings against the USA with an aggregate score of 12-5
USA have won four of their 26 matches against European opposition at the World Cup
Romelu Lukaku has scored 92 goals for Belgium
Belgium have won 11 and drawn six of their last 17 matches
Folarin Balogun is USA’s top scorer at the World Cup with three goals
Five Belgian players have registered one assist during the tournament so far
Both teams have scored in three of Belgium’s four World Cup matches
Mauricio Pochettino has now won 18 of his 30 matches in charge of the USA
Score prediction: USA 1 – 2 Belgium
The latest USA vs Belgium odds are available on LiveScore Bet
