This will be the first Group E match from the latest edition of the World Cup. The Swiss will be coming into this game as clear favorites not having lost any game in their qualifying campaign.
The Swiss won their first match in the previous edition in South Africa against the eventual champions Spain and will be looking to replicate their success this time around too.
But the Ecuadorians can draw comfort from the fact that the Swiss have never won against a South American opponent. Another plus for the Ecuadorians is that they will be playing under home conditions.
Having already seen a few unexpected defeats of some top teams an upset for the highly ranked Swiss team would not be a surprise.
Top Players to look out for:
Switzerland have conceded only one goal in their last seven games which suggest that they have an air tight defense hence their back four of Fabian Schar, Johan Djourou, Steve Von Bergen and Philippe Senderos will draw some eyebrows. Young defender Ricardo Rodriguez, if he starts will be another prospect to watch out for. Midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri, who has made considerable amount of appearances for the Bayern Munich is another player to look for. Among the Ecuadorians, Antonio Valencia, the Manchester United winger will play a critical role for his team.
Possible line-ups:
Switzerland: Drmic; Stocker, Von Bergen, Schar, Shagiri; Behrami, Inler; Rodriguez, Von Bergen, Scar; Benaglio.
Ecuador: Dominguez; Paredes, Guagua, Erazo, Ayovi; A Valencia, Noboa, Gruezo, Mentero; Caicedo, E Valencia.
Teams head-to-head:
The two teams have not had any games between them and this will be their first head-to-head encounter.
Predictions :
The Swiss defense has had some excellent performances recently suggesting that the South Americans are not likely to pose much of a threat. Switzerland are favorites for this clash.
Final Score: Ecuador 1- 2 Switzerland
Match timings: 9:30 pm IST
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