Ecuador vs Bolivia: Bolivians will concede a lot but will not give up without a fight

In their last four head-to-head encounters, the Ecuadorians and Bolivians have scored 15 goals against each other. Will the opponents once again be able to put up a goal-rich meeting? We predict that there will be no problem with goalscoring!

The Ecuadorian national team missed out on the World Cup in Russia, but they intend to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The current qualifying tournament started for them with three wins in four starts, which declared their solid ambitions. Well, that was the end of their winning streak, as they only managed one win against Paraguay 2-0 in their next five outings, drew once again against Chile 0-0, and lost their remaining three games, along with their 2-0 loss at the 2021 Copa America. Still, all that does not stop them from sitting in fourth place in the standings for qualification to the 2022 World Cup.

Bolivia are the clear underdogs in the South American qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup. They are the weakest team on the continent in terms of selection of players, but they have a severe advantage in the form of high altitude at home, where they can play a little easier than the other opponents. In their current qualifying campaign, the Greens have only managed one win in nine meetings, a 3-1 home win over Venezuela. The Bolivians have managed to cling to a draw three more times, and in the remaining five meetings, they have always lost, so they are now in the penultimate place in the standings for the qualification to the World Cup 2022.

The Ecuadorian squad is one of the most cheerful teams in the World Cup 2022 qualifier, scoring heavily and conceding enough. They have been particularly successful on home soil, boasting a respectable 13 goals (2.60 goals per game average) in their opening five games. Bolivia’s defense is an absolute disaster, and while at home, they can occasionally hold back the onslaught of their opponents’ attacks. In five away matches, they have already conceded 15 goals (3.00 goals per game average). Therefore, the best option for the prediction seems to be Individual Total 1 Over 2.5 goals for 1.82.

As a rule, Bolivia not only concedes a lot but also scores enough. In only nine played matches in the current World Cup 2022 qualifiers, they have already registered 12 goals (1.33 goals per game average), which is a good indicator for the outsider of the South American continent. That’s why we shouldn’t expect them to go down without a fight, and besides, the Ecuadorians are having problems defensively at the moment. Moreover, in the last five head-to-head encounters, the Greens have lost just once by a margin of three goals, and in all other cases, they have put up a decent resistance. Therefore we should place our money on the Bolivian team winning with a handicap (+2) at the odds close to 2.10.

Particular attention should be paid to the Bolivian forward Marcelo Moreno. During his long career, this traveler has managed to play in Germany, England, and China, even for Shakhtar Donetsk, and then returned to Cruzeiro, where he played for the fourth consecutive season. He has scored five goals in 13 games, which is hardly excessive, but he has already scored eight goals (66% of all team goals) for Bolivia in eight rounds of World Cup 2022 qualifiers as the continent’s top scorer. In such a situation, a bet on Marcelo Moreno’s goal at around 5.00 is worth considering.