England vs. Senegal: Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips

This friendly is likely to be closely contested, with both teams possessing quality and recent positive form. England’s home advantage and greater squad depth may give them a slight edge, but Senegal’s physicality and tactical discipline should ensure a competitive encounter. A narrow win for England seems the most probable outcome, with both managers prioritising performance and squad assessment over the final scoreline. England 2-1 Senegal.

England are hoping to respond to a disappointing showing at the weekend as they take on Senegal in an international friendly.

• Date: 10/06/2025
• Location: City Ground, Nottingham
• Kick-Off Time: 19:45

England went top of their World Cup qualifying group on Saturday afternoon with nine points from three games after a win against Andorra, but the mood was not so rosy after the game as Thomas Tuchel's men delivered a drab, turgid performance.

England struggled to break down a resolute Andorran side and given the talent on the pitch, it was a fairly worrying showing. Andorra concede over three goals per game on average, and while you can argue that England should have scored one or two more based on the chances that were created, the Three Lions did not create anywhere near enough. England were slow, ponderous and static in their movement, all of which contributed to a performance that looked more in line with a Roy Hodgson era showing than anything we've seen in the last six or seven years.

It's easy to lean into the knee-jerk reaction and start making fresh conclusions about England's World Cup prospects next summer, but it's important to take into account the conditions that can lead to a performance like that. Andorra, with the greatest respect, are not the sort of opponent that will inspire a great deal of motivation in players who compete at the highest level week in, week out, and the game occurring in the June window - where players are tired and are now forced to have one eye on the incoming expanded Club World Cup - will have no doubt had an impact. Ultimately, it's too early in Tuchel's reign to start drawing any drastic conclusions.

One thing is for certain, though, and that is that England need to put the negativity to bed here with a much more convincing performance than what we saw on Saturday afternoon.

Senegal are coming into this game preparing for what they hope will be an appearance in next summer's World Cup. The African side are currently trailing DR Congo by a point in their qualifying group, but they're also on course for progression into the second round of qualifying as one of the best-placed runners-up, should they fail to win the group.

These two sides locked horns in the last 16 of the 2022 World Cup, and England dispatched the then-reigning African champions with a professional 3-0 win. Senegal have continued to develop players at an admirable rate, and they boast an arsenal of players like Nicolas Jackson, Ismaila Sarr, Lamine Camara and Iliman Ndiaye. It is, then, a very different side to the one that faced England back in 2022, so it should be a good test for the Three Lions.

Having watched England on Saturday night, the African side will probably fancy their chances of pulling off an upset here. We're expecting an improved England showing, but Senegal will carry much more threat than Andorra did.

This game will be televised live to all UK viewers on ITV1.

England:

England are expected to field a strong starting XI, with Jordan Pickford in goal and a back four comprising Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ezri Konsa, Dan Burn, and Myles Lewis-Skelly. The midfield trio of Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, and Curtis Jones should provide balance and creativity, while Bukayo Saka, Harry Kane, and Noni Madueke are likely to form the attacking line. Tuchel may rotate in the second half to give opportunities to squad players.

Predicted lineup: Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Konsa, Burn, Lewis-Skelly; Rice, Jones; Saka, Bellingham, Madueke; Kane

Senegal:

Senegal are set to line up with Edouard Mendy between the posts, supported by a defence featuring Kalidou Koulibaly, Abdou Diallo, Ismail Jakobs, and Youssouf Sabaly. In midfield, Idrissa Gueye and Pape Matar Sarr will anchor the team, with Lamine Camara pushing forward. The attack is expected to be led by Nico Jackson, flanked by Ismaila Sarr and Iliman Ndiaye.

Predicted lineup: Mendy; Sabaly, Koulibaly, Diallo, Jakobs; I. Gueye, L. Camara, P. Sarr; I. Sarr, Jackson, Ndiaye

England:

England have displayed generally positive form in their last five matches. They recorded wins over Andorra, Latvia, Albania, Ireland and Greece. The lack of a real test stands out in that run, so England will be keen to see if this game provides them with puzzles they have not yet been asked to solve.

Senegal:

Senegal’s last five matches have also been decent. They drew with Ireland last time out, which came after a 2-0 win over Togo, a 0-0 draw with Sudan, and a 3-0 win and a 1-1 draw with Liberia in a double header. Senegal will feel as though they should have taken more points from those games, with those draws coming in games they arguably should have won. Nevertheless, their showings have been consistently solid.

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