Posted 18:00 CET, 6 January 2026. Kickoff 20:00.
Algeria 1, Burkina Faso 1.
Same opponent, same group stage stakes, same general dynamic as two years ago. The difference is the squad. The midfield has been rebuilt around Bennacer and Zerrouki. The forward line is younger and faster. The new coach has been clearer about identity than the previous regime.
But the central problem has not changed. Algeria still struggles against organized mid-blocks. Burkina Faso has spent the last three years building exactly that kind of structure under their Belgian coach. They will not press high. They will sit ten yards inside their own half and force Algeria to break them down with passes through congested zones.
This is the test of whether the new midfield works against the kind of team Algeria almost always fails to break down. Mahrez is on the bench tonight, by choice, to keep him fresh for a potential knockout match. The wide attack is built around younger players. The execution is the question.
I think Algeria scores once and Burkina equalizes once. Probably a set piece each way. The chances will be limited. The match will be tighter than the press will expect. The press will not have watched closely enough to notice that this is a different Algerian midfield from the one they remember, and a different Burkinabé defensive setup from the one they expect.
Final prediction: Algeria 1, Burkina Faso 1. Both teams go through. The proper test comes in the round of sixteen.