World Cup qualifiers roll on in CONMEBOL on Thursday, and one crucial game features Brazil hosting Ecuador. Brazil leads the group on 33 points, nine more than Colombia, and they have a massive 25-goal difference, but they can’t take their foot off the gas. Meanwhile, Ecuador is two points behind Argentina for the inter-confederation playoff slot, so they’ll give it everything they have in Porto Alegre.
What To Know About Ecuador
Ecuador lost their last two World Cup qualifiers in March at Paraguay and at home to Colombia, and they’re struggling at the wrong time in the competition. They did beat Trinidad and Tobago 3-1 in a friendly in July, but Brazil is a step up in competition to say the least, and they have to get goals from somewhere. Enner Valencia looks a shadow of the player who starred for Ecuador at the 2014 World Cup and Ecuador needs him to get going. Fernando Gaibor’s two goals leads the team in qualifying, but Ecuador has to get goals up front to help out their midfield. Also, the defense has looked shaky in recent games and that is not good news against a Brazilian team that has been flying so high.
What To Know About Brazil
Brazil has already qualified for the World Cup, so it’ll be interesting to see what kind of lineup they’ll field, but they’re rolling right now and they might want to keep the momentum up. They won their last two qualifiers at Uruguay and at home against Paraguay by a combined score of 7-1 and it should come as no surprise that Neymar is usually at the heart of everything they do. After the most expensive transfer in the world as he moved from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain, Neymar is destroying Ligue 1 and in recent games, he has brought that skill to the national team. He has a lot of help in the likes of Willian, Paulinho and 20-year-old Gabriel Jesus, but Neymar is the straw that stirs Brazil’s drink. Also, keep an eye out for Philippe Coutinho, who has been “injured” for Liverpool, but named to this squad as he tries to engineer a move to Barcelona.
Outlook
Brazil is favored at -450 at home for this match, while Ecuador comes in at +1200 and a draw is listed at +475. Brazil has won 12 and drawn three of their 17 meetings with Ecuador, including a 3-0 win in Quito in September 2016. Neymar scored from the penalty spot, while Jesus netted in injury time and Brazil also got an own goal from Walter Ayovi. After what happened at the last World Cup, which they hosted, and they went out in the group stage at the Copa America, Brazil has a lot to prove. They’ve also never lost a World Cup qualifier at home, which means Ecuador has a huge uphill battle to climb for three points that they desperately need. It would be a massive upset if Ecuador won on Thursday, but a point is possible depending on Brazil’s lineup.
World Cup Qualifying Pick: Brazil
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