Six games unbeaten, four consecutive clean sheets - the Republic of Ireland will be looking to carry their fine form from the tail end of the 2021 calendar into the first window of 2022.
That fine run of results were borne out of a defeat, as it happened, the morale-boosting and confidence-lifting performance in the Algarve where Ireland led 1-0 in the 89th minute but would eventually fall to two late Cristiano Ronaldo goals.
Now, with the arrival of the world number one-ranked side, the odds would suggest that the run might come to an end, however, the manager has promised that his side will not go down without a fight.
'The fighting Irish' is a never-say-die attitude that has been instilled in this team over the past 30-odd years, however, the physicality in this particular contest may well come from the visitors, who have blended a combination of skill and strength that has proved most effective over the past decade.
This new-look Ireland team do not set out their stall as an aggressor, but rather look to play through the lines, while still maintaining a strong emphasis on organisation and defensive stability, and the requisite Irish beef will also match those mussels from Brussels in the key areas.
Four months have passed since that impressive spell from this Ireland side, and on this occasion, the winter break seems to have been more a hindrance than a help as the momentum that was built over three consecutive windows will naturally have stalled.
Kenny will again look to showcase the progress that has been made over the past nine months, reminding his side of the strong performances that were shown twice against Portugal, as well as the home tie with Serbia, while also replaying those convincing victories against the weaker sides, which were just as important in terms of building momentum.
Tonight’s opponents have their own agenda, and are using the game as part of their World Cup build-up, approaching the game as a trial, of sorts, where squad players are looking to force their way up the pecking order, while those on the periphery are attempting to make that final 23 for Qatar.
Either way, the quality at the disposal of Belgium manager Roberto Martinez is arguably up there with the levels of talent available to France, Spain, Germany or England.
To deliberately leave players like Kevin de Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard, Axel Witsel, Dries Mertens and Thibaut Courtois out of an international squad shows the embarrassment of riches available to the former Everton manager, and while it levels the playing field to a certain extent, Ireland will really have to be playing with a competitive mindset to compete in this one.
The Ireland manager believes that his squad have the capability of maintaining their own approach to the game and not get forced into back-foot football, overwhelmed by the high-quality Belgians.
As a result, the strongest side available will be sent out to start tonight’s fixture, and while several key players are also missing from the Ireland set-up, recent games have shown that the squad has started to develop real competition for places.
No more so than in the goalkeeper position, where Ireland could afford to lose two top-quality players this week in Gavin Bazunu and Mark Travers, and still have the luxury of being able to name a Liverpool cup winner to start between the sticks.
Caoimhin Kelleher will play against Belgium, and there will be an experienced defensive line sitting in front to offer good cover, while also attempting to nullify the exceptional attacking threat of Martinez’s side.
Expect to see Shane Duffy, John Egan and Seamus Coleman asked to sit in front with Matt Doherty and James McClean to operate on either flank.
The sheer quality of this Belgian line-up will force the manager to add another midfielder to the mix in order to pack that central area and while Josh Cullen and Jeff Hendrick are certain to start, Conor Hourihane’s club form and experience should see him get the nod.
Several alternative options exist in the middle of the park with Jayson Molumby, Jason Knight and Alan Browne all likely to feature over this Dublin double-header.
Up front, Callum Robinson is likely to start based on his performances in the autumn, while Chiedozie Ogbene has been a revelation under Kenny in recent games and could link up with the West Brom man in an unorthodox attacking line.
And likewise, Kenny has a welcome selection headache in attack where Will Keane, Troy Parrott and Scott Hogan all offer different attributes that will be called upon throughout the two games.
Speaking ahead of the game, the manager gave a good insight into his attacking unit, commenting on Robinson that "for us, [his best position] depends on the combination you’re playing with".
"He can play either wide or central, he did play wide in Azerbaijan when he got his two goals, and he played central here when he got his hat-trick against Qatar.
"Chiedozie does complement him, as he makes such direct runs. Callum likes to drop into a false nine position, and he has a very good weight of pass and he’s intelligent.
"[Will Keane] gives us another option. He’s very good with his back to goal, he drops into pockets, he’s very intelligent and has great awareness. He sees passes and scores headed goals."
But two players who may have to wait their turn to work their way into this Ireland set-up are St Mirren’s Connor Ronan and Oxford’s Mark Sykes.
Both players can really light up a game and their talents would be ideally suited to Kenny’s tactics and approach to the game in general.
The manager will have been watching them all week in training and they could be a consideration for the future, perhaps even getting some minutes in Tuesday’s clash with Lithuania.
Ronan was a key player in the ten position for Kenny’s Under-21 side and the manager admitted that he was a fan of the Wolves player, who has enjoyed other loan spells in Slovakia and Switzerland before his latest deal in the Scottish Premiership.
"I like Connor Ronan, I’ve always like him, his intelligence," said Kenny.
"[Connor] gets more touches than anybody else in games. He’s constantly involved in games, not always playing defence-splitting passes but he keeps the game ticking over. He covers a ferocious amount of ground, it’s off the charts. He’s an aggressive presser.
"Physically he has challenges at international level. He’s still emerging and has only come into the squad. We’re not expecting him to burst onto the scene and be a big part straight away. He’s just finding his feet."
It could certainly be argued that the manager took a good 12 games to find his own feet in international football, however, he is now looking sturdy and stable in his own position, gaining praise from across the international football scene.
"[Ireland] have clear concepts and clear ways of trying to get the players to enjoy it, and that's what Stephen Kenny has done. It is very recognisable the way that Ireland play," said Belgian counterpart, Roberto Martinez ahead of tonight’s game.
This Ireland team have come a long long way from that shocking home defeat to Luxembourg, almost a year ago to the day, and while not a lot is expected against the high-profile Belgians, for Kenny an expectation will exist.
Follow the Republic of Ireland v Belgium this Saturday (kick-off 5pm) via our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app, or listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport.
