On November 20, the opening match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar will take place. The hosts will face a rather unremarkable Ecuadorian team. It’s not the most exciting game to kick off the tournament, especially since it’s the only match on the first day. Nevertheless, the World Cup is starting, and we shouldn’t ignore this fact.
Qatar
The Qatar national team has never participated in the World Cups despite holding a solid 50th spot in the FIFA rankings. They might not have qualified otherwise, but they’re in as the hosts of the tournament.
The odds for Qatar to win their first match are 3.84.
The team prepared for the tournament through friendly matches against clubs. They chose opponents that weren’t the toughest, but still experienced and solid Italian sides. Positive results include a win against Udinese and draws with Lazio and Fiorentina.
Most of the players compete in the domestic league and are known to only a small portion of football fans.
Ecuador
Like many South American teams, Ecuador qualified for the World Cup amid scandals, disputes, and intrigue, but they made it through. This echoes loudly in their current form. How else to explain that Ecuador hasn’t won a single official match all year in 2022?
The odds for Ecuador to win are 2.15.
In preparation for the World Cup, the team played five friendlies and looked incredibly dull and ineffective. Facing opponents that weren’t top-tier, they only scored against Cape Verde and Nigeria. The coaching staff surely knows what to work on, but time is running out. It’s tough to build scoring prowess and an attacking style just through training, and Ecuador’s next game is already in the World Cup…
Prediction for the Match
Ecuador sits at 44th in the FIFA rankings, just above Qatar. However, the South American side has never advanced past the round of 16, so they’re not clear favorites. If we’re purely looking at win bets, Ecuador has a higher chance of success. But we suggest focusing on another aspect.
Qatar is a team that excels in defense and generally handles it well. Ecuador, despite the flair of South American football, hasn’t impressed with their scoring. Typically, when one team defends strongly and the other struggles to attack, we see a low-scoring game. The World Cup opener likely won’t feature a barrage of goals this time.
Prediction for the Match: Under 2.5 goals with odds of 1.71.
