Ecuador vs Bolivia prediction: SOUTH AMERICA: World Championship – Qualification betting tips on match 2024-11-14 00:00.
[p]After ten matches in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying (WCQ), Ecuador sat fifth (W4, D4, L2), despite having three points deducted for the use of a document which contained false information about Byron Castillo in the previous cycle. Entertainment has been lacking on the pitch however, as they’ve scored just once in four matches since the summer’s Copa América (W1, D2, L1), and their WCQ games in this cycle have produced an average of just one total goal.[/p]
[p]But keeping four consecutive clean sheets in home WCQs suggests that La Tricolor might still prosper even if the goals aren’t flowing (W2, D2). And Sebastián Beccacae’s side could well increase that goal tally here as they’ve won their last six home H2Hs against Bolivia while scoring an average of 2.33 goals per game.[/p]
[p]Bolivia are making a good fist of trying to qualify for a first World Cup since 1994, starting the round in seventh which would guarantee a play-off place (W4, L6). That all-or-nothing nature of their campaign could well continue here as they incredibly haven’t drawn any of their last 19 games (W5, L14)![/p]
[p]In addition to that poor recent record in Ecuador, La Verde are notoriously poor travellers as victory in Chile earlier this year (W 2-1) was their first triumph in an away WCQ match this millennium! They couldn’t build on that landmark win as in their latest trip they were thrashed 6-0 by Argentina, failing to score for the fourth time across their last six such fixtures (W1, L5).[/p]
[p]Players to watch: Nobody has scored more often in this fixture than Ecuador’s Enner Valencia (eight), and the veteran striker should be fresh after appearing as a late second-half substitute in each of his last five club appearances (G1). Carmelo Algarañaz has netted before half-time in two of Bolivia’s last four games including that landmark win over Chile.[/p]
[p]Hot streak: Ecuador have kept a second-half clean sheet in each of their last 11 home WCQs (W6, D5).[/p]
[p][i]Written by John Pennington[/i][/p]