Ecuador face World Cup debutants Curacao in Kansas City in the early hours of Sunday morning, with both teams seeking their first points of the tournament.
Having conceded just five goals in qualifying, La Tricolor looked primed for another 0-0 draw against Ivory Coast, until Amad Diallo popped up to score the winner with just minutes left on the clock.
Curacao couldn’t have faced a tougher opening match as they take on four-time World Cup winners Germany.
Despite going a goal down early, Dick Advocaat's men scored an historic equaliser through Livano Comenencia before the midway point of the first half.
However, that goal appeared to poke the bear, however, as the Germans netted six more goals without reply to seal a 7-1 win.
Ecuador v Curacao Tips Summary
Best Bet - Enner Valencia to score anytime @ 5/6
Alternative Bet - Ecuador to win 2-0 @ 9/2
Bet Builder - Ecuador to win to nil, Enner Valencia to be fouled 2+ times & Riechedly Bazoer to commit 2+ fouls @ 4/1
Ecuador v Curacao Prediction
Best Bet: Enner Valencia to score anytime @ 5/6
Enner Valencia is Ecuador's top scorer at the World Cup, having netted six goals in two previous tournaments coming into this one.
It is a testament to his ability that he is still leading the line for his country at the age of 36 and he will certainly fancy his chances of scoring against this Curacao defence.
Valencia’s only shot against the Ivory Coast hit the post and the wily veteran should be able to fashion more chances against the Blue Wave, especially after they conceded seven goals in their first Group E game.
La Tricolor will be looking to take full advantage in a game they must win and Valencia can score in a third World Cup.
Alternative Bet: Ecuador to win 2-0 @ 9/2
Ecuador scored just 14 goals in their 18 matches in qualifying, but still managed to finish second behind Argentina to book their ticket to the showpiece.
Boasting a near-impregnable defence that saw just five goals conceded, there weren't many high-scoring games through qualifying, with at least three goals only occurring four times, while their last five games saw one total goal.
Indeed, of those 18 games, eight finished goalless.
Although Curacao shipped seven goals against Germany, they will be keen to keep things as tight as possible to prevent another thrashing.
While Ecuador should ultimately prevail, they may not be able to run away with the game like Germany did and a chance is taken on a correct score of 2-0.
Ecuador v Curacao Bet Builder Tip
- Ecuador to win to nil
- Enner Valencia: 2+ fouls won
- Riechedly Bazoer: 2+ fouls committed
Pays 4/1
Ecuador don’t concede many goals and, with Curacao expected to defend in numbers to avoid another heavy defeat, a La Tricolor win to nil is taken to begin this Bet Builder.
Against Ivory Coast, Valencia was unlucky not to score, hitting the post in the first half, while he was fouled on four occasions to show how much of a handful he was.
As a key focal point of the attack, he can draw another couple of rash challenges.
Valencia will come up against defender Riechedly Bazoer, who committed two fouls against Germany last time out.
Given Ecuador are likely to dominate possession, Bazoer looks set to have another tough match in front of him and is expected to commit at least two fouls once again.
Learn more about how Bet Builders work in our Bet Builder guide.
Key Match Stats
- Ecuador have won five of their 14 games at the World Cup
- Curacao scored their first-ever World Cup finals goal in the match against Germany
- Enner Valencia is Ecuador's leading goalscorer with 49 goals
- Eight of Ecuador's 18 World Cup qualifying matches finished 0-0
- Dick Advocaat became the oldest coach in World Cup history aged 78
View details of how to watch Ecuador v Curacao on site.
Read more football betting tips and predictions on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
