In the second gameweek of the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers, Ecuador will face Uruguay at Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado on Tuesday night.
After a disappointing start in their first match, the hosts are eager to secure their first points in the qualifiers, while the visitors aim for consecutive wins early in the qualifying campaign.
Match Preview:
Ecuador heads into this match following a 1-0 loss against Argentina on Friday night. Lionel Messi’s late goal secured the victory for Argentina.
Despite the defeat, Ecuador showcased a strong defensive performance, allowing only four attempts on target and managing three shots themselves.
Although facing the world champions was challenging, Ecuador sees this match as a better opportunity to earn their first points in the competition.
The loss against Argentina ended Ecuador’s three-match winning streak, which included victories against Australia (2-1), Bolivia (1-0), and Costa Rica (3-1) in June.
In the previous qualifier between 2020 and 2022, Felix Sanchez’s side finished fourth and secured a 4-2 win against Uruguay at the same venue. However, this was their only win in the last four meetings with Uruguay.
Meanwhile, Uruguay enters this match with confidence after a 3-1 triumph over Chile in their opening match.
Nicolas de la Cruz scored twice, and Federico Valverde also found the net, placing Uruguay in second position behind Brazil.
With this victory, Marcelo Bielsa’s team now enjoys a four-match winning streak and remains unbeaten in their last six matches in all competitions. They have also scored two or more goals in five of those matches.
Despite being considered the underdogs in this fixture, Uruguay has a strong recent record against Ecuador, winning three of their last four encounters. In the previous qualifying round, Uruguay finished ahead of Ecuador by two points after 18 matches.
Ecuador form (all competitions):
L L W W W L
Uruguay form (all competitions):
W D W W W W
Team News:
After limited opportunities in the last match, Kevin Rodriguez has shown promise and may partner Enner Valencia in Ecuador’s attack.
Felix Sanchez may consider switching from a five-at-the-back formation to a more conventional 4-4-2 setup, giving Pervis Estupinan a chance to play a more advanced role.
Considering the previous match’s result, Marcelo Bielsa might maintain the same starting 11 for Uruguay, with Valverde and de la Cruz impressing alongside Manuel Ugarte in midfield.
Facundo Pellistri was substituted in the last match for Brian Rodriguez, but Pellistri hopes to start behind Darwin Nunez and Maximiliano Araujo this time.
Possible starting lineups:
Ecuador:
- Galindez
- Torres
- Arboleda
- Pacho
- Hurtado
- Cifuentes
- Gruezo
- Caicedo
- Estupinan
- Rodriguez
- Valencia
Uruguay:
- Rochet
- Nandez
- Caceres
- Vina
- Piquerez
- Valverde
- Ugarte
- De la Cruz
- Pellistri
- Nunez
- Araujo
Prediction: Ecuador 2-1 Uruguay
Although Uruguay has dominated recent encounters, Ecuador has a strong record at home and has won their last three matches against Uruguay when playing on their home turf.
This is expected to be an entertaining match, but we predict Ecuador will secure victory with a one-goal margin.