Kick-off: 1500, 29/11/2022
Stadium: Khalifa International Stadium
TV: ITV
Ecuador only need a draw against Senegal to qualify for the World Cup knockout rounds but are taken to progress in style with a win.
La Tri have been positive throughout their opening two matches and can take advantage of their opponents needing a victory to advance.
Punters can get 7/5 for a South American success and that is our first Ecuador vs Senegal prediction.
Ecuador Odds
Ecuador eased to a 2-0 triumph versus hosts Qatar in the tournament curtain raiser, with Enner Valencia bagging both goals.
They were expected to find Netherlands much tougher opposition and fell behind to a superb strike from Cody Gakpo after just six minutes.
However, captain Valencia pounced on a rebound to score his third goal of the tournament early in the second half and earn La Tri a 1-1 draw.
In truth, Ecuador put in a barnstorming display and were unlucky to come away with only a point.
The South Americans had a goal disallowed on the stroke of half-time and also hit the crossbar just prior to the hour mark.
Head coach Gustavo Alfaro said: “We have a great leader in Enner Valencia, but the rest of our squad are young and lack that experience.
“What I told them before the match was it’s OK to admit we’re not as good as our opponent. There’s nothing wrong in doing that.
“But we prepared for this match with great confidence. It’s a learning curve, we had to gain maturity.
“We might go through, we might not, but nothing will change the perception I have of my players. We’re talking about players with a great future ahead of them.”
Valencia has picked up a couple of knocks but will no doubt be patched up and sent back out into battle.
The 33-year-old has 38 goals from 76 international appearances and it is 4/1 for him to score first in the Ecuador vs Senegal odds.
Senegal Odds
Senegal bounced back from a 2-0 loss to the Dutch by beating Qatar 3-1 in their second game.
Boulaye Dia’s 41st-minute strike gave the Lions of Teranga a half-time lead and former Bristol City striker Famara Diedhiou doubled the advantage soon after the interval.
Mohammed Muntari’s thumping header gave the home fans hope as the hosts belatedly showed spirit, but Bamba Dieng swept home Senegal’s game-clinching third goal in the closing stages.
Watford forward Ismaila Sarr and Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye also went close for Senegal.
Aliou Cisse’s side have proven they can hold their nerve in crucial matches, as they qualified by defeating Egypt on penalties, a repeat result of the Africa Cup of Nations final.
Chelsea pair Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly are other key performers, but this could be when they really miss injured record scorer Sadio Mane.
In what should be an exciting contest, we’re taking 35/4 for La Tri to triumph 2-1 as our final Ecuador vs Senegal prediction.
Additional stats
[jsEntainMatchAnalytics match_id=”293955″]
Join bwin today and receive up to £20 money back as a FreeBet if your first wager (3+ selections at odds of 1/2 (1.5) or greater) is a loser! Terms and conditions apply.
