Qatar vs. Ecuador Prediction

• Where: Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar
• When: Sunday, November 20, 7 pm local time

The World Cup will start with the game between the hosts, Qatar and Ecuador. Many would have wanted to see some bombastic event, but to be perfectly honest, we don’t mind this one as well. The hosts hope to get three points, which would be a massive success for them, while on the other side, Ecuador dreams of surprising one of the favorites and ending up in the knockout stage.

Qatar vs. Ecuador Preview

Qatar

As a host of the tournament, Qatar didn’t have qualifications, and this team played multiple friendly international games. They currently have three wins in a row, over Guatemala 2-0, Honduras 1-0, and Panama, 2-1. Before that, the World Cup hosts played 2-2 against Chile. 

Though despite having these positive results, this team has a modest capacity, which was seen against Canada which defeated them 2-0, or the U23 Croatia, 3-0. 

Don’t be deceived by the recent results and stats, because most of their rivals played with combined lineups. Back when Qatar met the competitors who appeared with the best teams, like Portugal, Serbia or the Republic of Ireland, they rarely scored a goal, let alone got away unbeaten. 

Ecuador

The South American team has only one loss in the past 10 games overall, though, on the other side, they have just two victories as well, with all other events ending as draws. This unit is for sure one of the toughest in the tournament because it compensates for the lack of quality with a hard-working team defense. 

Caicedo, Estrada, Hincapie, and Enner Valencia should lead the way here, as these four guys have the biggest reputation in the football community. They are all respectable stars in their units, yet as we said, overall, Ecuador has modest capacities. 

Nine games in the past 10 they played saw under 2.5 goals, and the previous five in a row were all with just one side netting. And tells a lot about their defensive-minded orientation.

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Qatar vs Ecuador Head to Head

These two countries met in 2018, at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, and the hosts won, 4-3. Almoez scored a brace for Qatar, while Valencia did the same thing on the other end. 

Qatar vs Ecuador Prediction

This will be a very tough and defensive-minded event, with two sides who won’t risk losing it. That’s why we expect to see a cautious approach and defensive tactics coming from both coaches. Even if Qatar decides to be a bit more open, Ecuador won’t accept such a style. It is why betting on under 2.5 scores is the suggestion for the World Cup opener. 

Our verdict: Under 2.5 goals

Qatar vs. Ecuador Odds