Group H reaches a crescendo on Thursday with Senegal taking on Colombia in Samara, both nations chasing the victory required to qualify for the World Cup‘s knockout stages.
Japan and Senegal are joint top heading into the decider, so Los Cafeteros (the Coffee Growers) know only a win will guarantee them progression for the second successive tournament to the business end.
The Lions of Teranga, meanwhile, will hope to roar just like they did on their World Cup debut 16 years ago.
Here, we take a look at three talking points ahead of the crunch clash.
JUAN’S THE MAN FOR COLOMBIA
James Rodriguez rightly grabs the headlines for Colombia, but Juan Cuadrado deserves huge credit for sprinkling his stardust on a 3-0 win over Poland in which he was magical.
Rodriguez, having not quite been fit enough to start the opener, was key as he delivered assists to both Yerry Mina and Cuadrado’s killer third goal, but it was the silky Juventus wideman who tailored this victory with a striking performance.
The 30-year-old played as many key passes as the Bayern Munich man (three), had just four less touches (84, Colombia’s second highest), embarked on as many dribbles and didn’t lose the ball once in a performance which the Polish defence will have nightmares about for the next four years.
Cuadrado signed off for the night in style as he ran onto Rodriguez’s sublime through ball and sealed an emphatic victory late on, no less than he deserved.
The goal and man-of-the-match performance must have left a sweet taste in the mouth of the Los Cafeteros star after a disjointed season heading into the World Cup at club level.
Cuadrado endured a tumultuous time of it in Turin during an injury-plagued 2017/18 campaign in which he featured just 29 times in all competitions as he was dogged by a groin problem.
His eye-catching performance in Kazan would have felt like vindication for the flying forward, and he’ll provide problems for Senegal’s defence in this pivotal Group H decider.
WHEN ARE WE GOING TO SEE KEITA BALDE?
Monaco’s Keita Balde is a rising talent, but has not played a minute at the World Cup so far.
It’s been a bit of a surprise Senegal have not unleashed Keita Balde on the tournament yet.
Aliou Cisse swooped to snap up the dynamic forward in 2016 upon his announcement he would opt to play for the country of his parents rather than the country of his birth.
The 23-year-old starlet was born to Senegalese parents living in Spain and was a budding star at Barcelona before a prank on a teammate involving an ice cube during a youth team trip to the Middle East saw the then 15-year-old sent out on loan to satellite club UE Cornella as punishment.
Who knows if that cooled Keita’s warmth towards the Blaugrana, but after 47 goals in one season for Cornella he turned down the chance to return to the Camp Nou and signed with Serie A giants Lazio for €300,000, aged just 16.
It’s been a stellar rise since, bagging 31 goals in 137 senior appearances as he soared for Le Aquile (the Eagles) before fetching a sky-high price of £40 million from French behemoths Monaco last summer.
He captured eight goals in 33 appearances and ended a maiden season in the principality in solid form – but he is yet to be summoned from the bench in Russia.
Keita divided opinion in Ligue 1, dipping in and out of form regularly. For each electric performance, he would then fail to produce in the next game.
He is, however, a difference maker. And with the Lions of Teranga taking on a Colombia in peak form, Balde could provide the X Factor.
EXPECT GOALS
Colombia veteran Radamel Falcao is just one of a myriad of attacking options for both sides.
Senegal have faced South American opposition just once previously in a World Cup. On that occasion during their bow on the game’s grandest stage, they drew 3-3 in their final group game of 2002 against Uruguay.
With their defence all at sea, they conceded two sloppy goals having twice taken the lead last time out against Japan, there could be an ocean of goals in this one – with both sides boasting rich attacking content, not to mention the fact only a victory guarantees Colombia’s progression to the last 16.
After a commanding performance as Senegal opened the tournament with a somewhat surprisingly easy 2-1 victory over much-fancied Poland, Cisse’s side again looked sublime going forward as they went 1-0 and 2-1 up against Japan last time out in Yekaterinburg.
But the Samurai Blue sliced through some shoddy defence to claw themselves back into the contest each time, which will definitely be a concern for a pragmatic Cisse.
Los Cafeteros are coming into the decider off the back of a swashbuckling 3-0 blitz of the poor Poles in which progression hopes were killed off in Kazan.
After Carlos Sanchez’s early red card in their 2-1 defeat to Japan on matchday one, they blew away the blues to saunter to victory in style, a win underpinned by the brilliance of James Rodriguez as their attack hummed.
With World Cup futures on the line, two squads playing some scintillating football and boasting explosive attacking talent, there could be fireworks.
