Netherlands vs Ecuador – 25/11/2022
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We have reached the second round of fixtures in Group A of the 2022 World Cup and on the 25th of November we have a meeting between Netherlands and Ecuador. The match will take place at the Khalifa International Stadium and both teams know a win would be a massive step towards finishing top of the group.
Netherlands come into the match on the back of a good 2-0 win over Senegal. While the result was good, the performance level was somewhat lacking for much of the game and Netherlands will be hoping to improve in this match.
? First #WorldCup goal for @DavyKlaassen! ⚽️#NothingLikeOranje #SENNED pic.twitter.com/PdQF5QoFHs
— OnsOranje (@OnsOranje) November 22, 2022
It took until the 84th minute for the Dutch to open the scoring and they added a second goal deep into injury time to take maximum points.
That result means Netherlands are undefeated in their last 16 fixtures in all competitions. They have won each of their last 4 matches, including victories at home over Wales and Belgium in the Nations League.
In fact, Netherlands were undefeated in their Nations League group as they finished top, beating Belgium home and away.
Having started with a defeat in Turkey, Netherlands went on a run of 9 games without defeat to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.
Trends show Netherlands have scored 2 or more goals in 6 of their last 7 matches in all competitions and have kept a clean sheet in each of their last 3 games.
Ecuador enjoyed a tremendous start to their 2022 World Cup campaign as they defeated hosts Qatar 2-0 in their opening match of the tournament.
The pressure was on as the eyes of the world were watching and Ecuador produced an excellent performance in the first half to score 2 goals.
They opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 16th minute and added a second goal in the 31st minute. It is fair to say Ecuador took their foot off the gas in the second half.
The win over Qatar means Ecuador are undefeated in their last 8 games in all competitions.
They finished their World Cup qualifying campaign with a 1-1 draw at home against Argentina but wins have not been easy to come by for Ecuador.
Trends show Ecuador have won only 3 of their last 12 matches, including friendlies.
Ecuador have failed to score a goal in 4 of their last 6 matches.
Team news and Netherlands could bring Memphis Depay into the starting XI having featured as a substitute against Senegal. The Barcelona man is likely to be the only change for the Dutch.
Ecuador have no major injury concerns and are set to go with the same starting XI from the win over Qatar.
There is plenty of room for improvement for the Netherlands following their win over Senegal. If they can play to their potential, the Dutch should have enough to overcome a strong Ecuador team and keep a clean sheet in the process.
