Ecuador vs Venezuela Preview & Prediction | 2024 Copa America | Group Stage
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The opening game of Group B at the 2024 Copa America takes place on Saturday as Ecuador and Venezuela face off against each other at the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Saturday 22nd June, 2024 - UK – 11:00pm / US EST – 6:00pm / US PST – 4:00pm
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – Premier Sports / US – Fox Sports & TUDN
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – PremierSports / US – UniMas, Fubo, DirecTV Stream, Sling Blue, ViX
ECUADOR PREVIEW: EXCITING CROP OF TALENT
Now coached by Felix Sanchez, who led Qatar into the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Ecuador will be looking to continue on from some enterprising performances in their warm-up friendlies against Bolivia and Honduras whereby they won 3-1 and 2-1 respectively.
The Ecuadorians still have Enner Valencia as their talisman and captain but there is a youthful core emerging with the likes of Moises Caicedo, 17-year-old Kendry Paez and Brighton winger Jeremy Sarmiento at the heart of what is developing into an easy on the eye style of football from Ecuador.
VENEZUELA PREVIEW: REDISCOVERING THEIR FORM
Venezuela began their CONMEBOL qualification campaign for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in impressive fashion in the autumn with a five-match unbeaten run of form that included a draw in Brazil. They have since, though, begun to fade away again.
Perennially they have been one of the weaker sides in South America and the Venezuelans now come into this one on the back of a goalless draw with Guatemala in March that extended their current winless run of form to six matches.
ECUADOR TEAM NEWS: BLENDING YOUTH AND EXPERIENCE
Ecuador are expected to play a 4-2-3-1 system in this tournament from the start and there is really exciting talent throughout their side. A midfield consisting of a £100 million+ Moises Caicedo in behind the spritely talents of Jeremy Sarmiento and Kendry Paez should give a platform to the evergreen Enner Valencia up top.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Alexander Dominguez; Angelo Preciado, Willian Pacho, Felix Torres, Piero Hincapie; Joao Ortiz, Moises Caicedo; Jeremy Sarmiento, Kendry Paez, John Yeboah; Enner Valencia
UNAVAILABLE:
QUESTIONABLE:
VENEZUELA TEAM NEWS: A STRONG CORE
Fernando Batista has chopped and changed his formation in recent matches after a good run of form for the Venezuelans so the likelihood is they return to the trusted 4-3-3 with an emphasis on defensive midfield with Cristian Casseres Jr and Yangel Herrera and then a direct attacking approach up to Salomon Rondon.
PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Rafael Romo; Miguel Navarro, Christian Makoun, Wilker Angel, Alexander Gonzalez; Cristian Casseres Jr, Jose Andres Martinez, Yangel Herrera; Jefferson Savarino, Salomon Rondon, Yeferson Soteldo
UNAVAILABLE:
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ECUADOR VS VENEZUELA PREDICTION
CONMEBOL qualification and matches between South American sides can often be entertaining for reasons not necessarily related to the football due to the hostility between opponents and the likelihood of a low-scoring encounter between these two is quite high given that they have combined for just 11 goals between them in their opening six qualifiers. That said, Ecuador will be slight favourites given the pedigree and exciting talent within their side, as well as the form of the Venezuelans.
ECUADOR VS VENEZUELA TIP: ECUADOR TO WIN & UNDER 3.5 GOALS
