World Cup 2022 Opening Match | Qatar vs. Ecuador Betting Tips & Odds

The opening match of the World Cup will take place on November 20, 2022 at al-Bayt Stadium in al-Khor. If you want to bet on Qatar Ecuador in the 2022 World Cup, here you will get all the information, analysis and preview on the opening match.

We go into detail and provide you with all the information you need to know about the opening match between the World Cup host country and the solid team from South America. What’s in favor of Qatar, what’s in favor of Ecuador?

Where can you find the best value bets on the match? And what are the best options for live betting in Group A?

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Latest betting odds Qatar vs. Ecuador

The bookmakers see Ecuador as slight favorites in this match. At top bookmaker Betsson, you’ll get 2.28 times your stake back for an Ecuador win.

A win by Qatar pays 3.46 times the stake at 22Bet. Since World Cups have the hosts playing the first game, these are the highest World Cup odds on the host team to win ever.

	➜ visit Bet365	➜ visit 22Bet	➜ visit Betsson
Qatar to win	3.30	3.46	3.40
Draw	3.25	3.20	3.30
Ecuador to win	2.25	2.21	2.28

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Fun Fact: Originally, host Qatar’s match against South American representative Ecuador would not have been the opening game. It was supposed to have taken place on November 21, but Qatar intervened with FIFA in August and had the match moved up a day so they could play the first game themselves.

Otherwise the game Netherlands vs. Senegal would have been the World Cup opener.

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Best Bookmaker for World Cup Betting

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World Cup 2022 Betting Qatar vs. Ecuador

1. Qatar World Cup preview
2. Ecuador World Cup preview
3. Team comparison
4. The last duel
5. Group A match fixtures
6. Qatar vs. Ecuador over/under betting pick
7. Qatar vs. Ecuador betting prediction
8. Qatar vs. Ecuador correct score bet
9. FAQ

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Qatar World Cup 2022 preview

The World Cup hosts have a squad with which Spanish coach Félix Sánchez Bas is focusing primarily on tactical discipline and high running efforts.

Qatar does not have a single player who earns his money in Europe – all players are under contract in the Qatar Stars League. Only a few have been able to gain experience in Europe.

The star of the team is 25-year-old left winger Akram Afif.

Against Ecuador, Qatar will stand deep and lurk on quick counterattacks. It is likely that Sánchez Bas’s team will stand in tight chains behind the ball and attack energetically, but from a deep position against the ball. They will then use counterattacks to set the scene for their fast attackers.

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It is likely that Qatar will not have much possession and will not shape the game in a technical way.

✚ Read all about the Qatar World Cup squad

Qatar last games in 2022

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	XG	Possession	Accuracy	Duels won
26/03/2022	Bulgaria	H	2 – 1	1.62 : 0.45	51,80%	82,26%	45,16%
29/03/2022	Slovenia	H	0 – 0	0.67 : 0.20	49,01%	84,39%	55,41%
23/09/2022	Canada	H	0 – 2	0.41 : 3.24	41,42%	85,27%	66,39%
27/09/2022	Chile	H	2 – 2	1.35 : 1.74	35,24%	79,21%	54,76%

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Ecuador World Cup 2022 Preview

The yellow and blue have some highly interesting players who earn their money in the biggest leagues in the world. Due to the hard pace and the high level of stamina in the defense, it is very difficult to score against Ecuador.

Thus, Ecuador’s most valuable players play in their defensive line, such as Bayer Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapié or Brighton’s Pervis Estupiñàn.

It could be the only match in Group A where Ecuador should have more possession than their opponents. Against the Netherlands and Senegal, Ecuador will take a defensive approach, but against Qatar they must play creatively to win to keep a small chance of promotion from Group A.

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Therefore, Ecuador will have to find solutions against the World Cup hosts, but this will not be easy for the South Americans given some weaknesses in their central midfield.

✚ Read all about Ecuador’s World Cup squad

Ecuador last games in 2022

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	XG	Possession	Accuracy	Duels won
03/06/2022	Nigeria	N	1 – 0	2.05 : 1.72	49,25%	86,33%	46,08%
06/06/2022	Mexico	N	0 – 0	1.03 : 0.42	49,25%	83,33%	54,24%
12/06/2022	Cape Verde	N	1 – 0	2.07 : 0.21	59,21%	90,79%	46,67%
23/09/2022	Saudi Arabia	N	0 – 0	0.85 : 0.75	56,79%	80.23%	49,04%
27/09/2022	Japan	N	0 – 0	1.55 : 1.05	84,19%	84,19%	49,15%

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Team comparison

That speaks for Qatar:

• Home game and definitely high motivation due to the opening match
• Better acclimatized to the weather conditions
• Focus on counterattacks as Qatar doesn’t need to shape the game and give Ecuador the ball instead
• High running effort and tactical discipline

That speaks for Ecuador:

• Better individual players, higher individual quality
• Can counter Qatar’s tireless runners with toughness
• More accurate in passing game
• More dangerous at set pieces than Qatar

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The last duel

On October 12, 2018, a spectacular friendly match took place that ended with a 4-3 victory for Qatar. What was striking here was that most of the players used are also likely to play a role in the 2022 World Cup. Qatar’s top striker Almoez Ali scored two goals – as did Ecuador’s experienced striker Enner Valencia, who also received a red card in the final minute of the game.

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Group A Match Fixtures

Date	Time (local)	Group	Stadium	Match	Result
Nov. 20	7 p.m.	A	al-Bayt	Qatar – Ecuador
Nov. 21	7 p.m.	A	al-Thumama	Senegal – Netherlands
Nov. 25	4 p.m.	A	al-Thumama	Qatar – Senegal
Nov. 25	7 p.m.	A	Khalifa International	Netherlands – Ecuador
Nov. 29	6 p.m.	A	al-Bayt	Netherlands – Qatar
Nov. 29	6 p.m.	A	Khalifa International	Ecuador – Senegal

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Qatar – Ecuador Over Under Tip

Traditionally, not many goals are scored in the first match of a World Cup. In the four tournaments between 1966 and 1978, all the opening matches ended in 0-0 draws. This has to do with the fact that the teams usually feel each other out in the first game, instead of charging wildly.

In recent years, this trend changed a bit, but that was also due to the difference in quality of the opponents. In 2018, Russia beat Saudi Arabia clearly 5-0, while in 2014 Brazil beat Croatia 3-1 in front of a fanatical home crowd.

There is no such difference in quality in the clash between Qatar and Ecuador. However, these are two teams whose strengths lie in defense and who are keen to get behind the ball quickly. Accordingly, it is to be expected that there will not be many clear chances to score in this match.

Neither team will be choosing an attacking approach, with Qatar even more likely to lurk on the counterattack in front of their own crowd.

We bet here on Qatar – Ecuador under 2.5 – on the one hand, because they are defensive teams, on the other hand, because opening matches aren’t usually ‚high-scoring‘.

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Qatar – Ecuador Prediction

It is the opening match of the 2022 World Cup and for the most part, the hosts have an emotional advantage in this first match. Qatar doesn’t necessarily have the classic advantage because of the fans, but in any case because of the weather conditions. Ecuador usually plays its home games at almost 3,000 meters above sea level and now has to face the desert.

Of course, the team will prepare for it, but the Qataris are certainly better acclimatized. Accordingly, we bet on a victory of the host, who will literally run for their lives. The quality factor is on Ecuador’s side, but considering that this is a value bet, you should rather bet on Qatar here.

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Qatar – Ecuador Correct Score Bet

So, we are going to assume that Qatar will win the match and less than 2.5 goals will be scored. Of course, this doesn’t give us many options for a bet on the correct score. Since it is the opening game, it is quite possible that a game of patience will develop without many chances.

A single lucky punch could make the difference here. Our World Cup 2022 betting tip is therefore a 1-0 victory for the host of the FIFA World Cup 2022.

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FAQ – Questions and answers about Qatar vs. Ecuador at the World Cup 2022