The South American World Cup qualifiers get underway this weekend as Ecuador gets Chile’s better part. The match schedules for Sunday at the Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado, with kickoff at midnight.
The hosts returned to winning ways a horrid spell with a 2-0 win over Paraguay. On the other hand, the opponents registered their third loss following Brazil’s 1-0 defeat.
Ecuador has started their road to World Cup qualification in style, with a huge 6-1 win over Colombia after narrowly losing to Argentina 1-0. They then beat Bolivia 3-2 before claiming victory against Uruguay 4-2.
The first matches of the year didn’t go well for Chile, as they lost to Brazil and Peru before having a somewhat underwhelming Copa America campaign in the summer.
Moreover, they could not qualify for this year’s World Cup in Russia, but the future looks bright as they currently sit third place in their group and will be looking to continue that form.
On the other hand, Chile must bounce back quickly as they face a tough battle with Uruguay and Colombia.
With their task looking tougher than ever, Chile will be desperate to put a win on the board and improve their chances of reaching next year’s World Cup. Having also missed out in 2018, they’re eager to qualify again this time around.
Ecuador vs Chile Head to Head
Both sides have 12 games against each other, with Ecuador taking five wins while Chile with six wins. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Ecuador 2-0 Paraguay
- Argentina 3-0 Ecuador
- Brazil 1-1 Ecuador
- Ecuador 2-2 Peru
- Venezuela 2-2 Ecuador
Away
- Chile 0-1 Brazil
- Brazil 1-0 Chile
- Chile 0-2 Paraguay
- Uruguay 1-1 Chile
- Chile 1-0 Bolivia
Ecuador Team News
Forward Enner Valencia will be looking to find the back of the net to break Augustin Delgado’s record of 32 international goals. Furthermore, Michael Estrada will join the captain in the attacking line this week. Dynamic duo Moises Caicedo and Jhegson Mendez set to miss out on the clash after also missing out last time.
Chile Team News
Alexis Sanchez remains on the treatment table after picking an injury before Copa America. Moreover, Eduardo Vargas sets to get his 100th cap while notching 40 international goals. After declaring for the Chilean camp, Ben Diaz sets to get another run after netting a debut goal.
Prediction and Odds
Even though the hosts showed more intent, we cannot overlook the opponents killer runs in the competition.
- Draw
- Double Chance
- Goals Under 2.5
