- Belgium have won three and drawn two of their last five matches across all competitions (W3, D2).
- USA have won three and lost two of their last five games across all competitions (W3, L2).
Familiar foes in the last 16
Rudi Garcia's Belgium will face off against Mauricio Pochettino's USA in the knockout stages of a FIFA World Cup in the USA on Tuesday.
The match between these two sides promises to be a clash of styles in Seattle. Pochettino's team are a high-energy, pressing side that will want to win the ball back high up the pitch and transition quickly in numbers while Garcia's Belgium are more likely to play the ball through the thirds and circulate possession to try and unlock pockets in the central areas of the pitch.
The Belgians have the edge in the head-to-head record, which is important for a match like this in the knockout stage, after beating this USA team 5-2 in a friendly three months ago. That result proves that Belgium can certainly find a way through, but the States have a goal in them and should be able to find a goal or two of their own in this contest.
Game should not be cagey
Belgium are the more likely winners in Seattle, but there's no reason to expect this to be a cagey game. USA are going to press and Belgium have more quality in the final third, but there are some good odds about backing both teams to score and a few goals to be scored.
The main selection for this match will be Over 2.5 goals at 79/100, while both teams to score - yes will be added as a 57/100 addition to the main stake. The USMNT have won three of their last five, but they beat a solid Bosnia and Herzegovina side 2-0 and conceded three goals in a 3-2 defeat away to Turkey in October.
Belgium are in good form, with two wins on the spin, but their overall record in this competition has been patchy. We're backing Garcia's men to be the more clinical of the two, however, and we can see a 2-1 or 3-1 Belgium win in this game, so that will be the correct score selection.
Folarin Balogun has one goal in one in the FIFA World Cup for the USA so far and looks to be their most likely finisher in transition, while Youri Tielemans has two goals in one in the knockout stage of the competition and can be trusted to turn up when it matters most for Belgium.
