Ecuador vs Brazil: Pentacampeon to take three points away from Quito

The Brazilians beat Ecuador 2-0 in the first qualifying round for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Will Gustavo Alfaro's side be able to get revenge in the upcoming game? We predict that the pentacampeon will be closer to success again!

The Ecuador national team got off to a great start to the 2022 World Cup qualifiers with three wins in their opening four rounds, but then their results went downhill at a rapid clip. It seemed that at this rate, the Tricolors might drop out of contention for a trip to Qatar, but at the end of 2021, they were once again excellent. First, Gustavo Alfaro's charges survived a 0-0 away draw against Colombia, then a 1-0 home win over Venezuela and a comfortable 2-0 win over Chile in the last away game. Such a strong start and finish allows the Ecuadorians to sit at the third position in the standings, almost guaranteeing a ticket to the World Cup.

The Brazilian national team is a participant in the World Cup 2022. We can already speak officially about it, as the pentacampeon do not have even a mathematical chance to fall outside the top-4 teams, which for sure will go to Qatar. Adenor Tite's side has not suffered a bitter defeat in 13 games, claiming 11 victories and two draws. The Yellow and Green's defensive line is particularly pleasing, allowing their opponents to score four goals so far. Although the task of reaching the World Cup has already been solved, the coaching staff still invited all the key players to the January qualifying matches, so do not expect the Brazilians to underestimate their opponents.

Throughout history, the teams have played 26 official head-to-head games between them. The Tricolors have two wins, the pentacampeon were stronger in 19 games, and another five games ended in a draw. The goal difference also favours the visitors in their upcoming clash, 72-17. The opponents have already met once in the current qualifying tournament, with a 1-1 draw.

Ecuador and Brazil have almost secured their passage to the 2022 World Cup, but that does not mean the upcoming game will be a formality. It will be prestigious for the Ecuadorians to beat the pentacampeon at home. Tite has called up a powerful squad for his national team, indicating their intention to score maximum points. Of course, all other things being equal, the Yellow and Green team are the favourites to win the match, they have a much stronger squad and more organized team, so it dictates we place our bet on the victory of the Brazil national team for 2.25.

Brazil are the most prolific team in the World Cup 2022 qualifier. The Yellow and Green have already scored 27 goals in 13 meetings (2.08 per game on average), which is a respectable number. Moreover, in their last four games against Ecuador, the pentacampeon scored eight goals (2.00 average per game), so you shouldn't expect the Tricolor to perform miracles on defense. The guests have a solid line-up in Quito. With this in mind, Brazil's Total Over 1.5 goals for 2.62 seems to be the best option for our prediction.

Vinicius is a young forward with a breakthrough season for Real Madrid. If for the first three years at Los Blancos he played in 82 games in the Primera, in which he scored eight goals (0,10 on the average per game), in 21 meetings of the current championship, the Brazilian has already scored 12 goals (0,57 on the average per game). The progress is evident! Yes, he is not as goal-getting for his national team, but Neymar, Firmino and Richarlison will not be playing for the Yellow and Green at the moment, which gives the 21-year-old goalscorer a chance to prove himself. The odds on Vinicius' goal are around 4.20.