Qatar vs Senegal Betting Preview & Recap

Qatar is officially the first team to be eliminated in the 2022 World Cup following a 3-1 defeat to Senegal, who kept alive their hopes of reaching the knockout stage. In addition, they are the first hosts to be eliminated after two match days.

The first World Cup hosts to lose their tournament opener suffered a second defeat after goals from Boulaye Dia, Famara Diedhiou, and Bamba Dieng. However, Mohammed Muntari scored a historic late consolation.

Senegal, beaten by the Netherlands in their opener, had controlled the first half without reward, until Dia pounced in the 41st minute after Boualem Khouki slipped during an attempted clearance. Qatar, restricted to efforts from range, appeared to have a legitimate claim for a penalty before then when Akram Afif was bundled over by a backtracking Ismaila Sarr just after the half-hour mark.

But Dia instead made Senegal’s dominance count, and second-half goals from Diedhiou (48) and Dieng (84) sealed the points that kept Aliou Cisse’s side in contention to reach the round of 16.

Only an unlikely series of events, culminating in a big Qatar win over the Netherlands, could give the hosts a reprieve, but Muntari’s superb header (78) was their first World Cup goal and a moment to savor in their likely short-lived adventure.

📊 Team Stats 📊

Qatar	–	Senegal
45%	Possession	55%
10	Total Shots	13
3	Shots on Target	5
5	Shots Wide	6
5	Shots Blocked	2
2	Saves	2
6	Corners	7
3	Yellow Cards	3
0	Red Cards	0
7	Fouls	3
4	Offsides	3
81%	Pass Accuracy	86%
2	Dribbles	10
20	Crosses	18
17	Tackles	8

Were We On the Right Track?

Below you will find all the predictions we made before the matchup, on November 22, 2022.

Qatar and Senegal Both Look to Bounce Back

It wasn’t an ideal World Cup debut for Qatar but despite their loss to Ecuador, they’re still alive. The same goes for Senegal after competing with the Netherlands for 84 minutes but conceding a pair of late goals. Expect both teams to go after it in this match with them needing a result. We’ll review the odds and the major developments in the match in this Qatar vs Senegal betting preview

Team Standings and Odds:

Head-to-Head:

Our Qatar vs. Senegal betting preview notes that this is the first-ever meeting between the two sides.

With their 2-0 loss to Ecuador on Sunday, Qatar became the first-ever World Cup host to lose their opening match. That’s certainly not a record they wanted to set but they still have two more opportunities to gain points. However, there’s a case to be made that Qatar’s first match was their most winnable. With matches vs. Senegal and the Netherlands, coach Felix Sanchez will be hoping to at least remain competitive. Qatar looked out of sorts on Sunday and failed to even get a shot on target.

Qatar will be hoping to get their first-ever World Cup goal in this match. Akram Afif and Almoez Ali looked dangerous at certain points on Sunday but Qatar were largely toothless. The World Cup odds price them at very long +8000 odds to win the group after the first match. Still, a win could put them in knockout stage contention here.

The host nation very rarely goes out in the first round but this is scarcely a traditional World Cup. Qatar’s players have spent a lot of time in training camps and playing friendlies over the last few months, though. So perhaps they let the pressure get to them a bit vs. an Ecuador team that’s been here before.

There was very bad news for Senegal on the eve of the World Cup. Their star player Sadio Mane underwent surgery on his knee and will miss the entire tournament. Mane is the reigning African Footballer of the Year and his loss was severely felt on Monday. Senegal played quite well vs. the Netherlands but couldn’t seem to find a breakthrough in a 2-0 loss.

After 84 scoreless minutes, the Netherlands’ Cody Gakpo headed home past onrushing Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. Mendy, who’s lost his number one spot at Chelsea, looked shaky at times and parried the ball out for the Netherlands’ second goal. Possession was nearly even in the match and Senegal had more shots on target. They still have the potential to get a few results at this tournament without Mane but his clinical finishing is missed.

Our Qatar vs Senegal betting preview should note that midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate and defender Abdou Diallo came off with injuries on Monday. It’s worth monitoring their statuses in the lead up to the Qatar match. There’s still a lot of talent on the roster even without the injured duo and Mane.

Match Analysis and Odds:

With how Senegal competed vs. the Netherlands, it’s no surprise that they’re favorites vs. Qatar. They’ll just hope for a better performance from GK Edouard Mendy and their forwards in match number two. For soccer spread betting, Senegal are favored by one-goal and show +120 odds to cover the spread. Qatar, in front of their home fans, are -140 favorites to cover and at least keep the match close.

The oddsmakers aren’t necessarily liking Qatar’s chances in this one. That’s not a big surprise with how poor their performance vs. Ecuador was, but they’re +500 underdogs in what’s effectively a home match. A Mane-less Senegal come in at -165 odds to get their first win of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. A draw would certainly be a disappointment for Senegal but it is priced at +275 odds.

Senegal show -115 odds to keep a shutout. They do have a solid and towering center back pairing in Kalidou Koulibaly and Pape Cisse.

Qatar may have to wait a bit longer to get their first World Cup goal. Senegal show -115 odds to keep a shutout. They do have a solid and towering center back pairing in Kalidou Koulibaly and Pape Cisse. Still, over two goals is listed at -135 odds while under two sits at +115. Expect Aliou Cisse’s Senegal to commit numbers forward in this one.

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