Our football predictions expert reveals his top three bets and predictions for Burkina Faso vs Senegal in Thursday's 8 pm AFCON qualifier.
Burkina Faso should be expected to win against Senegal by a scoreline of 1-0.
Burkina Faso face Senegal in round five of the AFCON qualifiers, who hope to maintain the top spot in Group L on Thursday evening.
The two nations shared a 1-1 draw back in early September, and since then the Stallions have won three consecutive matches, scoring nine goals in the process.
Senegal have also won the following three matches but haven’t scored as many goals, which left them in second place.
Only Burkina Faso have managed to score against Senegal, and back on home soil, they could pull off a surprise in front of their supporters this week.
Senegal’s main forward Sadio Mane has recently scored the winner for his club Al Nassr and is heading into the international break in high spirits.
The probable lineup for Burkina Faso in the "system of play."
Koffi; Yago, Tapsoba, Djiga, Kabore, Badolo, Boni, Banse, Bande, Ouattara, Konate
The probable lineup for Senegal in the "system of play."
Dieng; Diallo, Koulibaly, Seck, Diarra, Sarr, Gueye, Gueye, Sarr, Mane, Jackson
The hosts head into round five against Senegal brimming with confidence, having comfortably won their last three matches. Prior to that, they held Senegal to a 1-1 draw on the road - and were unfortunate not to win.
After falling behind in the 10th minute thanks to a strike from Sadio Mane, Burkina Faso waited until the 95th minute, when Ousseni Bouda scored a dramatic equaliser.
Playing once again in front of their own fans, the Stallions can leverage the support to build a charged atmosphere and win their fourth consecutive match, defying the odds.
Burkina Faso have only lost two home matches since 2022, and regardless of the bookmakers’ predictions, the visitors will find it difficult to break them down.
Both defences have been strong throughout the qualifiers, with the hosts conceding only twice in their two home matches. Meanwhile, Senegal have only conceded one - but none on the road.
Senegal’s two away matches have been 0-0 at half time so far, restricting Malawi and Burundi to just one shot on target each in the first 45 minutes.
Our Burkina Faso vs Senegal predictions indicate it may take time for Burkina Faso to break down a tough defence, which is why the price for a half-time draw seems fairly generous.
Burkina Faso have been scoring freely, but facing Senegal is a much more difficult task than facing Burundi and Malawi, which is why they are both well ahead after four rounds.
Burkina Faso’s top goalscorer Dango Ouattara (two goals) is out injured, which makes their task slightly more difficult - but not impossible.
With the reverse match finishing 1-1, this game promises to be tense, especially with the top spot at stake. The last of our Burkina Faso vs Senegal predictions is for there to be under 2.5 goals, in what appears set to be a tightly contested game.