Sport Arena makes its prediction for the opening match of the World Cup in Qatar
The FIFA World Cup traditionally begins with a match in which the team plays –master tournament. And even if the sign of the opening match of the main football tournament does not look bright and there will not be a top team or one of the World Cup favorites in this game, the confrontation between Qatar and Ecuador will open the 2022 World Cup and will be very important in the tournament plan for both rivals. Both teams ended up in a difficult group, in which the Netherlands and Senegal will also play, which means the result of the match and the points scored will surely help one of them in the future.
Qatar
The very participation in the World Cup can already be called a great success for the Qatar national team, because the team of this country will play in the World Cup for the first time in its history. The status of the hosts of the tournament obliges the Qataris to perform at least worthy, but it will be very difficult for the team to even count on leaving the group. The Qatari national team is rightly considered the underdog of its quartet and is unlikely to interfere in the fight for reaching the playoffs.
chief Qatar’s achievement is winning the Asian Cup in 2019 in the United Arab Emirates, since then, the team of the Spanish mentor Felix Sanchez Bas has managed to maintain the backbone of the squad, which is based on the players of the local championship. There is no doubt about the motivation of the Qatari national team players, and the hosts clearly intend to please the fans at their stadium.
Ecuador
Unlike the Qatar national team, the Ecuadorian team is not a debutant of the World Cup – in the past, the South Americans participated in the world championships three times, but only in 2006 they managed to leave the group. This time, the Ecuadorians will try to repeat that success and challenge their competitors, at least in the fight for second place in the quartet.
The Ecuador national team was the last to announce its bid for the World Cup, which included both representatives of the South American championships and footballers playing in Europe. Separately, it is worth noting Moises Caicedo from Brighton and Enner Valencia from Fenerbahce – the leaders of the Ecuadorian team, on whom the coaching staff will place a special bet.
Interesting Facts
- the teams last met in a friendly match in 2018: Qatar defeated Ecuador 4-3
- Ecuador last participated in the World Cup in 2014 but failed to qualify from the group
- the top scorer in the history of the Ecuadorian national team is Enner Valencia, to the accountat of which 35 goals
- For the Qatar national team this will be the debut match at the world championships
Quotes from BC favbet
Betting company favbet gives the following quotes for the opening match of the 2022 World Cup group stage: you can bet on Qatar for 3.20, on a draw for 3.15, and on Ecuador for 2.52.
Qatar – Ecuador: forecast and rates from Sport Arena
I would like to believe that the first match of the World Cup will please with spectacular and productive football, although the result of the game will be in first place for both the Qatar national team and the Ecuador team, which bookmakers give little preference to. It makes no sense for both teams to sit on the defensive, so the opponents will definitely seek their happiness in the attack and try to play ahead as aggressively as possible, which means there is a good chance of seeing several goals at once in the match.
Qatar
World Championship
November 20, 2022
18:00
Ecuador
Source: Sportarena
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
