2022 FIFA World Cup Group A – Odds, Predictions and Betting Tips
Group A of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will feature the hosts from Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal and the Netherlands. As the home side is difficult to assess, there is plenty of suspense in this group. Especially for pre-game-betting, this group could offer some exciting value bets.
Table of contents: World Cup 2022 Group A
- Teams
- World Cup betting on Group A
- Who will win group A?
- Who will advance to the round of 16?
- Statistics for last games of Group A teams
- Over/Under Trends for Group A
- Who will score the first goal in the match?
- Group A Match Schedule
- FAQ – Questions and answers about World Cup 2022 Group A!
Netherlands to win group A ➜ best odds 1.52 @ 22Bet
Overlyzer Betting Pick for group A winners
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Qatar is the sole debutant at this year’s World Cup. The other 31 teams have all participated in at least one World Cup. Like the Saudi Arabia team, Qatar has no foreign players in its squad – all of them currently play in the Qatar Stars League. The main star of the team is left winger Akram Afif, who was already under contract in Belgium and Spain before returning to his homeland.
✚ More about the Qatar national team
Ecuador, meanwhile, is a country you can always watch at the World Cup. The team is traditionally fast and gets behind the ball quickly, but also has physical disadvantages due to the small average body size of the squad. The most famous player in the team is the experienced attacker Enner Valencia, who is currently scoring for Fenerbahce.
✚ More about the Ecuador national team
Senegal comes to Qatar as the freshly crowned winners of the Africa Cup and will therefore arrive with a great deal of self-confidence. The West Africans have numerous top foreign players and are an extremely robust team that comes into the game with dynamic and speed. The star of the team is, of course, Sadio Mané, who just moved from Liverpool FC to Bayern Munich in the summer.
✚ More about the Senegal national team
The Netherlands are the big favorites in Group A and currently bring a highly interesting mix of routine and youth onto the pitch. The Dutch top players compete for top international clubs such as Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Barcelona. Probably the most important player of the “Elftal” is currently Frenkie de Jong, who organizes the midfield of the Dutch.
✚ More about the Netherlands national team
World Cup betting on Group A
The bookmakers consider the Netherlands to be the favorites in Group A across the board. Although Senegal travels to Qatar as Africa Cup winners, the odds comparison with Ecuador is relatively even. Bet365 offers odds of @5.50 for a group win by Senegal, while a group win by Ecuador will fetch @7.00. The heavy underdogs are hosts Qatar: a group win by the Qataris will net odds of @15.00 at Bet365.
It’s a similar story with Group A promotion bets: The Netherlands reaching the round of 16 – whether first or second – brings odds of @1.12. Senegal advancing brings odds of @1.72.
➜ more tips, bets and odds for the World Cup 2022
When betting on single matches, it is recommended to wait a bit longer. Currently, the squads of the various teams are not yet determined and until the start of the tournament, of course, there may still be dropouts. The preparation games for the tournament are also a good way of assessing how well the teams are in shape, although results from friendly matches should not be taken too seriously. The reality of the tournament is usually quite different.
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Who will win group A?
The two contenders for the group win are the Netherlands and Senegal. The first matchday of the group will see these two rivals face off, making it probably the most important game for both teams and a potentially decisive match in the group.
 |  |  | |
| ➜ visit bookmaker | ➜ visit bookmaker | ➜ visit bookmaker | |
| Netherlands | 1.44 | 1.52 | 1.44 |
| Senegal | 5.00 | 5.50 | 5.20 |
| Ecuador | 7.00 | 6.50 | 6.95 |
| Qatar | 15.0 | 15.0 | 14.7 |
The Netherlands has an advantage over Senegal in terms of squad depth. Coach Louis van Gaal can bring on more quality players than his counterpart Aliou Cissé, and even though Senegal has the greater star in Sadio Mané, the Dutch have more talent across their entire squad.
Netherlands to win group A ➜ best odds 1.52 @ 22Bet
Overlyzer Betting Pick for group A winners
Who will advance to the round of 16?
The Netherlands and Senegal are the obvious world cup favorites in this type of bet as well. However, they will play the very first match of the group against each other and if it ends in a draw, the two underdogs will have the chance to react better, for example by playing even more defensively against the two favorites.
Ecuador has a strong defense and it is not easy to score a goal against the team of the Argentine coach Gustavo Alfaro. Top teams such as Argentina and Brazil have already experienced this, both of whom failed to score more than a 1-1 draw against Ecuador in World Cup qualifying and were even the worse team at times.
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However, Ecuador has no home advantage in Qatar: At La Paz matches are played at an altitude of 3,600 meters above sea level, which places a heavy burden on away teams. Ecuador does not have this major advantage at the “Desert World Cup.
Qatar, too, will play very cautiously. Whether the quality is high enough to hurt even one of the three high-quality defenses is questionable, however. The Qataris also probably don’t have a real home advantage, especially since they don’t have any passionate fans, but will rather bring an event crowd to the stadiums.
Statistics for last games of Group A teams
Qatar
| 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% |
| 23/10/2022 | Guatemala | H |
Ecuador
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | XG | Possession | Accuracy | Duels won |
| 27/01/2022 | Brazil | H | 1 – 1 | 0.46 : 1.80 | 48,08% | 84,59% | 48,45% |
| 02/02/2022 | Peru | A | 1 – 1 | 0.55 : 1.05 | 37,65% | 83,01% | 43,32% |
| 25/03/2022 | Paraguay | A | 1 – 3 | 1.86 : 0.84 | 59,98% | 77,18% | 44,48% |
| 30/03/2022 | Argentina | H | 1 – 1 | 2.08 : 1.14 | 50,68% | 86,60% | 45,03% |
| 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% |
Netherlands
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | XG | Possession | Accuracy | Duels won |
| 26/03/2022 | Denmark | H | 4 – 2 | 2.37 : 0.97 | 60,70% | 91,65% | 39,31% |
| 29/03/2022 | Germany | H | 1 – 1 | 1.31 : 1.30 | 39,36% | 81,66% | 52,35% |
| 03/06/2022 | Belgium | A | 4 – 1 | 1.47 : 1.27 | 48,29% | 89,62% | 51,39% |
| 08/06/2022 | Wales | A | 2 – 1 | 0.50 : 0.52 | 57,13% | 88,08% | 42,34% |
| 11/06/2022 | Poland | H | 2 – 2 | 2.58 : 0.74 | 67,13% | 86,46% | 50,98% |
| 14/06/2022 | Wales | H | 3 – 2 | 1.52 : 1.51 | 58,79% | 88,71% | 49,69% |
| 22/09/2022 | Poland | A | 2 – 0 | 1.13 : 0.63 | 57,66% | 90,75% | 56,14% |
| 25/09/2022 | Belgium | H | 1 – 0 | 1.67 : 1.52 | 43,57% | 88,61% | 52,10% |
Senegal
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | XG | Possession | Accuracy | Duels won |
| 10/01/2022 | Zimbabwe | N | 1 – 0 | 1.85 : 0.31 | 60,51% | 85,63% | 50,59% |
| 14/01/2022 | Guinea | N | 0 – 0 | 0.64 : 0.63 | 49,70% | 69,52% | 50,92% |
| 18/01/2022 | Malawi | N | 0 – 0 | 1.56 : 0.15 | 74,52% | 83,05% | 57,25% |
| 25/01/2022 | Cape Verde | N | 2 – 0 | 1.42 : 0.17 | 59,14% | 82,40% | 46,41% |
| 30/01/2022 | Equatorial Guinea | N | 3 – 1 | 0.76 : 0.79 | 41,41% | 81,63% | 44,38% |
| 02/02/2022 | Burkina Faso | N | 3 – 1 | 1.38 : 0.43 | 49,80% | 86,42% | 53,57% |
| 06/02/2022 | Egypt | N | 0 – 0 | 1.95 : 0.86 | 55,41% | 84,34% | 50,78% |
| 25/03/2022 | Egypt | A | 0 – 1 | 0.65 : 1.00 | 59,39% | 80,37% | 53,68% |
| 29/03/2022 | Egypt | H | 1 – 0 | 3.17 : 0.15 | 60,35% | 80,60% | 48,46% |
| 04/06/2022 | Benin | H | 3 – 1 | 4.72 : 0.66 | 56,55% | 86,55% | 51,20% |
| 07/06/2022 | Rwanda | A | 1 – 0 | 1.24 : 0.03 | 67,36% | 82,15% | 46,91% |
| 24/09/2022 | Bolivia | N | 2 – 0 | 1.69 : 0.55 | 61,95% | 88,99% | 52,29% |
| 27/09/2022 | Iran | N | 1 – 1 | 1.01 : 0.19 | 51,78% | 83,19% | 46,71% |
Over/Under Trends for Group A
The Netherlands is known for its explosive attacking style and its traditionally dynamic wingers. Under Louis van Gaal, they will try to offer attractive and fast attacking soccer. The same goes for the Senegalese, who have produced some top-class young attacking players in recent years. These two teams will try to take control in all matches and aim for dominance – probably also in the head-to-head clash.
When Qatar plays, there are usually a lot of goals scored, but this is also due to their opponents in recent years. Against teams like Panama, El Salvador, Oman and Iraq, there have been intense clashes that have resulted in a lot of goals. At the World Cup, however, the picture will be completely different: Especially against the Netherlands and Senegal, Qatar will not be allowed to attack at will, but will rather sit back, which will certainly reduce the goal average somewhat.
By contrast, few goals are scored in matches involving Ecuador. In the first half of 2022, Ecuador played seven international matches and only once scored more than two goals. Defensive stability is the top priority for the small South American country, which is why you can’t necessarily expect much goals in Ecuador’s games.
Apart from that, Ecuador’s games can also be really fierce, as the 1-1 draw against Brazil in January 2022 proved:
Speaking of Over/Under Betting: Have you already seen our Over/Under tool? Our betting tool shows you even before the game starts the probabilities of how many goals will be scored in a game and if a game has an “over” or an “under” trend!
Who will score the first goal in the match?
To bet on the first goalscorer of a match, you need to consider a few aspects for your betting strategy. Who kicks the penalties for each team? Who is the target player in the attack? Who are the top scorers in the national team?
We sum up the most promising picks for the first goalscorer of each team.
| Almoez Ali (penalty taker) | Qatar |
| Akram Afif (penalty taker) | Qatar |
| Jordy Caicedo (Target player and penalty taker) | Ecuador |
| Sadio Mané | Senegal |
| Memphis Depay (elite dribbler and penalty taker) | Netherlands |
| Steven Bergwijn | Netherlands |
➜ who will be FIFA World Cup 2022 Top Scorer
Group A Match Schedule
Group A will host the opener of the World Cup and all matches will be played between November 21 and November 29. The top group game takes place right at the beginning.
| 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 |
Kick-off times on schedules are stated as local time in Qatar. Please check following table to translate kick-off times to your time-zone:
| Qatar (local time) | USA & Canada (ET) | UK (GMT) | Europe (CET) | Australia (AEDT) | India (IST) |
| 1 p.m. | 5 a.m. | 10 a.m. | 11:00 | 9 p.m. | 3:30 p.m. |
| 4 p.m. | 8 a.m. | 1 p.m. | 14:00 | 12 p.m. | 6:30 p.m. |
| 6 p.m. | 10 a.m. | 3 p.m. | 16:00 | 2 p.m. | 8:30 p.m. |
| 7 p.m. | 11 a.m. | 4 p.m. | 17:00 | 3 p.m. | 9:30 p.m. |
| 10 p.m. | 2 p.m. | 7 p.m. | 20:00 | 6 p.m. | 12:30 a.m. |
Senegal – Netherlands
Monday, November 21st 2022, 10:00 am GMT, al-Thumama Stadium
The opening match of the World Cup will not be played by the hosts, but by Senegal and the Netherlands. This could also be the game that sets the tone for advancing and probably even winning the group. A win by one of the two teams would almost be equivalent to advancing to the round of 16, especially since inferior teams will be lining up for them.
We are betting that the Netherlands will not miss this chance. Louis van Gaal’s team will come out on top in the end.
Qatar – Ecuador
Monday, November 21st 2022, 04:00 pm GMT, al-Bayt Stadium
In the first appearance of the Qatari team in a World Cup, it is to be expected that the team of the Spanish coach Félix Sánchez Bas will play to win. Ecuador, which usually has a big home advantage due to the altitude in La Paz, is traditionally weaker outside its own country and will struggle to cope with the high humidity in the desert.
Here we are betting on an opening stunner by the Qataris, with every single player giving their best in what could be the most important match of their lives.
Katar – Senegal
Friday, November 25th 2022, 01:00 pm GMT, al-Thumama Stadium
The situation in the second group match is completely different for Qatar: While they will be playing to win against Ecuador in order to spark euphoria, they will have to rely on much more defensive stability against Senegal. Senegal coach Aliou Cissé, meanwhile, knows that it is crucial to score full points against the two smaller teams.
In the third match of the group, we are betting on a win for the favorites, because Senegal will throw enough attacking power into the race and, with its robust central midfield, will hardly allow any counterattacks.
➜ Betting pick: Win Senegal @ – / Bet365
Netherlands – Ecuador
Friday, November 25th, 2022, 04:00 pm GMT, Khalifa International Stadium
The Netherlands naturally can’t afford to let anything slip against Ecuador, and even if the South Americans’ defense isn’t easy to overcome, it probably won’t be able to withstand the expected constant pressure from Van Gaal’s eleven for long. Here we expect an attacking furioso from “Orange”.
We bet on a victory for the Dutch, which could well turn out with several goals difference. So if you are looking for a value bet or generally want to take more risk, you can also speculate on a handicap victory bet the Netherlands here.
➜ Betting pick: Win Netherlands @ – / Bet365
Netherlands – Qatar
Tuesday, November 29th, 2022, 03:00 pm GMT, al-Bayr Stadium
Depending on how the group stage unfolds, it is conceivable that the Netherlands could spare some of its regular players in the final group game. This might be the case if they had already qualified for the round of 16 after the first two games. But even in that case, the quality of the Dutch team would still be well above that of the Qatar national team – and some (substitute) players will want to recommend themselves for the knockout phase.
We bet on a win for the Netherlands, who will rely on lively attacking soccer similar to the one they played against Ecuador.
➜ Tip: Win Netherlands @ – / Bet365
Ecuador – Senegal
Tuesday, November 29th, 2022, 03:00 pm GMT, Khalifa International Stadium
Tactics are often used in the last group game – for example, because a draw would be enough for one of the two teams to advance. This could be the case here for Senegal.
We’re betting on a split score here, because we expect Senegal would only have to do the bare necessities and Ecuador will use this to appear a bit bolder.
➜ Betting pick: Draw @ – / Bet365
FAQ – Questions and answers about World Cup 2022 Group A!
Group A will feature hosts Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal and the Netherlands.
Qatar is qualified as a host country for the 2022 World Cup, hosts are traditionally playing their games in Group A
According to the bookmakers, the Netherlands are the favorite to win the group. Bet365 offers odds of @1.40 for the Dutch to win the group, followed by Senegal at @5.50.
The World Cup group stage will run from the first day of the World Cup on November 21, 2022, through Friday, December 2, 2022, with Group A fixtures being played between November 21, 2022, and November 29, 2022.
In Group A, the matches will be played at al-Thumama Stadium in Doha, al-Bayt Stadium in al-Khor and Khalifa International Stadium in al-Rayyan.
The top team from Group A will play against the second team from Group B. Possible opponents are England, Iran, USA or Wales.