Algeria, relying on players from Europe's top five leagues, aims to control the tempo with nearly 58% average possession. Captain Riyad Mahrez is the key to unlocking the defence, utilising his inside cuts and set-pieces to break down compact formations. Ismaël Bennacer orchestrates the midfield, with Baghdad Bounedjah leading the line and Rayan Aït-Nouri providing width from full-back with frequent forward runs. Their defence has conceded only two goals in the last five matches, with high pressing and set-pieces (32% scoring rate) serving as their primary attacking strategies. Their objective is to breach Sudan's defensive setup early. Sudan plans to compress space in their own half, employing a midfield screen with Mohamed El Tahir and Abuaagla Abdalla to intercept attacks. Their wing-backs will focus on defending, while the central defenders boast a 75% success rate in aerial duels. Offensively, they'll counter-attack, relying on Mohamed Abdelrahman as a target and Mohamed Musa's pace, with set-pieces as their main source of goals. However, they've scored only three goals in their last ten games, with a counter-attack efficiency below 15%. Prolonged defending may lead to fatigue and a loss of concentration. The midfield battle will be crucial in overcoming the defensive challenges. Algeria's double pivot must disrupt Sudan's counter-attacks, with Mahrez's cuts and set-pieces needing precise execution. Sudan will seek to launch transitions from midfield, exploiting spaces left by Algeria's attacking full-backs.