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Both teams have every reason to chase victory, unless Cape Verde receive a favour from Spain in the concurrent Group H fixture.

The expanded 48-team World Cup has drawn its share of criticism, yet Cape Verde have arguably been the best example of why the tournament’s enlargement can deliver exciting stories.

The island nation opened their campaign with a goalless draw against the highly-favoured European champions Spain — one of the tournament’s biggest upsets so far. Their follow-up 2-2 draw with Uruguay was equally impressive, putting them in a strong position to qualify for the knockout phase.

However, Saudi Arabia will not make it easy for them.

After an entertaining start to the World Cup, the final round of group matches has largely been underwhelming, with few high-stakes encounters and several games where mutually beneficial results were enough for both sides.

This fixture, however, seems set to buck that trend. Saudi Arabia, bottom of the table with one point, cannot afford another draw. Only if Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay lose to Spain in the other Group H match would a draw likely suffice for Cape Verde.

That scenario means both teams will need to attack from the outset at NRG Stadium in Houston, where kick-off is scheduled for 7pm local time (1am UK time).

The situation presents each side with a different kind of test compared to their previous outings, making this a particularly difficult match to predict.

Cape Verde have already shown they are capable of more than simply defending deep and hoping for narrow wins. Against Uruguay, they took the lead midway through the first half through Kevin Pina, before Helio Varela struck back around the hour mark.

Saudi Arabia also led in their opening match against Uruguay but had to settle for a draw after conceding late. They then suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to Spain, offering little resistance throughout that game.

Given those performances, Cape Verde appear the more resilient and organised side, and they may once again show their fighting spirit to edge past the Saudis.

Predicted score: Cape Verde 2-1 Saudi Arabia