Burkina Faso vs Senegal Predictions

• Senegal have kept four clean sheets in five games at this tournament
• They head into this game having won eight of their previous 11 competitive games
• The Senegalese have key players back and in form having improved on their way to the semis

A step up for Senegal

Senegal cruised into the last four with a 3-1 victory over Equatorial Guinea at the weekend and that was a clear step up in performance. International tournaments tend to favour the sides who grow as the tournament progresses, something Senegal are pulling off to a tee.

They did draw two of their three group stage games, but they made the last eight without conceding a goal through their first four games. Last time out they saw Ismaila Sarr return to the side, while Sadio Mane recovered from injury in time to start that quarter-final. That means the Senegalese head into the last four at full strength and looking much improved.

Favourites to prove too strong

Burkina Faso are getting the most out of their squad as it stands, as shown in their 1-0 win over Tunisia in the last round. However, they’ll struggle to match the talent in the opposition ranks, as shown in their loss to Cameroon in the tournament opener.

Mane didn’t manage to find the net at the weekend, but a strike for the returning Sarr and confidence boosting strikes for both Cheikhou Kouyate and Famara Diedhiou makes Senegal an even tougher prospect.

Senegal are worthy favourites having won eight of their last 11 competitive games and I’m backing them to see off Burkina Faso this week. Given their impressive clean sheet record, a 2-0 win is my correct score prediction.