Ecuador will try to confirm their spot in the World Cup 2022 on Thursday when they travel to play Paraguay with kickoff at 2:30 am.
Paraguay has not had much success in the World Cup Qualification campaign, as they have only won two games from 16 attempts in the South American group.
Their last victory was a 2-1 win over Venezuela in September 2018, and they have since had to endure a span of seven games without another three points.
In that time, La Albirroja has failed to score a single goal, firstly suffering a pair of defeats to Chile and a loss to Bolivia after a creditable stalemate against Argentina. Recently under the management of Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Paraguay was able to put an end to their seven-game winless run by drawing against Colombia in November.
Ecuador will use the friendly to prepare for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. Ecuador is third in the South American group, with 25 points from 16 games, seven wins, and a goalless draw.
Ecuadorean side bounced back from just a fifth loss of the campaign with a goalless draw away at Colombia. They recorded back-to-back wins over Venezuela and Chile, keeping two clean sheets and establishing themselves in the top three.
Paraguay vs. Ecuador Head to Head
Both sides have ten games against each other, with hosts taking four wins while visitors with three wins. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Brazil 4-0 Paraguay
- Paraguay 0-1 Uruguay
- Colombia 0-0 Paraguay
- Paraguay 0-1 Chile
- Bolivia 4-0 Paraguay
Away
- Peru 1-1 Ecuador
- Ecuador 1-1 Brazil
- El Salvador 1-1 Ecuador
- Chile 0-2 Ecuador
- Ecuador 1-0 Venezuela
Paraguay Team News
Paraguay has called up an experienced squad, with captain Gustavo Gomez and Fabian Balbuena likely set to lead the defensive line. Miguel Almiron will support Angel Romero as the lone striker.
Ecuador Team News
Alfaro is likely to select the same XI that has brought him success throughout the year, with Moises Caicedo and Carlos Gruezo key in midfield and Michael Estrada, Gonzalo Plata, and all-time top scorer Enner Valencia an established front line. Bayer Leverkusen prospect Piero Hincapie is a standout player at the back.
Prediction and Odds
We expect Ecuador to be boosted by their fans and secure a crucial win on Thursday.
- Ecuador Win
- Goals Under 3.5
- Both Teams to Score
