Emotions will be vague on Monday, when Saudi Arabia and Egypt take the field at 16:00 in Volgograd.
Why? Because they have nothing to play for. You know the situation in Group A by now. Russia blasted Saudi Arabia in the opener and then checked Egypt off the to-do list within fifteen second half minutes in game two. Uruguay narrowly escaped both of these opponents, yet finds itself in a comfortable position, tied at six points with the host. That leaves Egypt and Saudi Arabia pointless and hopeless.
Head-to-head history
The two have met in an official match once before. It was during the 1999 Confederations Cup and you’ll be somewhat surprised to hear that the Green Falcons thrashed The Pharaohs 5-1.
Current form
The Asian side has lost five consecutive matches. Other than the two 2018 World Cup losses, Saudi Arabia was beaten in three friendlies prior to the tournament by Italy, Peru and Germany.
The African team’s last taste of victory was actually the 2-1 win over Congo that earned its World Cup berth. Eight games have passed since then and Egypt has won none of them.
Knowing that, it comes as no shock Hector Cuper’s days as Egypt’s coach are counted. It has already been confirmed this fixture will be his last one in charge. He’s a good manager and his players like him, so that’s an extra incentive in this meaningless encounter. That and pride. Mohamed Salah will not feature in this game. The Egyptian national team has already received plenty of criticism from around the globe for rushing their star into action. He needs to rest and recover, and that’s what will happen. Expect to see a lot of changes on both sides. No more than three or four players who were regulars in the previous two matches should participate in this one.
Given the freedom to enjoy themselves, players on both sides will try to have fun and relish the occasion. We should see plenty of mistakes which will make this encounter resemble an amateur contest, but, we should also see goals.
Odds
Saudi Arabia 4.50
Draw 3.60
Egypt 1.90
