Mali vs Burkina Faso Prediction: The Eagles will advance to the next round

Mail, who have not made it past the round of sixteen in their previous four appearances in this competition, will fight for a spot in the quarterfinals when they face off against a robust Burkina Faso on Tuesday. The highly anticipated match will take place at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium on Tuesday, with the Eagles gearing up for their twelfth consecutive game without a defeat. 

FIFA World ranking: 51st

The Eagles maintained their unbeaten run as they settled for a goalless draw in their final group game. Mali, who wrapped up the group stage at the apex of the log, picked up five points from a combined nine. They began their journey with a (2-0) victory over South Africa and settled for a (1-1) stalemate against Tunisia. More recently, they secured a point against an unconvincing Namibia, failing to convert their chances. 

Mali head here for the eighth consecutive season and have made it out of the group back-to-back. The last time they were here, Mali were knocked out of the last sixteen by Equatorial Guinea. 

The Eagles have been up and running since the appointment of Eric Chelle, with one defeat in the last fifteen games. The Eagles are a free-flowing team and have shared goals between themselves in recent games. 

Mali Starting Lineup : Diarra; Traore, Niakate, Kouyate, Sacko; Bissouma, Dieng, Haidara; Doumbia, Koita, Sinayoko

Key Player: Yves Bissouma

FIFA Ranking: 57th

The Stallions have not lived up to expectations in this competition, with four points from a combined nine. Burkina Faso kicked off their journey with a slim (1-0) win over Mauritania and settled for a (2-2) stalemate before losing (2-0) in their final game against Angola. Burkina Faso have scored three times in this competition with two penalties and an open goal. The Stallion's recent match was a testament to the fact that they lack a main striker as they fired twenty shots, but only two were on target. 

Burkina Faso have at least made it to the semifinals in their last two appearances but their performance so far have not been inspiring. 

Burkina Faso Starting Lineup: Konate; Tapsoba, Dayo, Nagalo, Guiebre; Blati Toure, Aziz Ki, Guira, Sangare; Ouattara, Traore

Key Player: Bertrand Traore

Mali have won twice while Burkina Faso have managed one win in their last three meetings. The Stallions have been below par in this tournament and with two penalties and a header, Burkina Faso have struggled in front of goals. At the same time, Mali haven't really done anything spectacular in this competition, but they have the potential to go beyond this round. The Eagles are blessed in the middle of the park with Bissouma, Dieng, and Haidara—the same as Mali, who have Toure, Aziz Ki, and Sangare in their ranks. The battle will be in the midfield and we think Mali have the upper hand here. I believe Mali will advance to the next round; bet on a home win in either half.

With the way Burkina Faso were set up against Angola, they might suffer more in the hands of Mali. However, we expect both sides to get a goal apiece here for

To be on the safe side, bet on Mali win or draw and over 1.5 goals for

Good luck!