Ivory Coast vs Ecuador Betting Tips and Stats

I think Ivory Coast are perhaps going under the radar this summer. Being drawn in a group alongside Germany and Ecuador has allowed for that to happen to an extent, but this is a team that come into the tournament having beat France 2-1. Amad Diallo was the man to make the difference that day, and he can be the catalyst for another result here.

Diallo wasn’t often the man called upon in qualifying, but he’s certainly been able to make a difference of late. He’s managed a shot on target in each of his last two for Ivory Coast, and he ended the season in fine fettle for Man United, having hit the target in seven of his last eight starts at the tail end of the domestic campaign.

Given the makeup of the squad, he’s perhaps one of the more reliable names to target here. Both Ange-Yoane Bonny and Elye Wahi are untested within this squad having only recently become eligible, whilst Evann Guessand has just four international goals. Ecuador conceded 3.00 shots on target per game in qualifying, so they’re certainly not porous at the back. It’s familiarity and consistency at this level that will do the trick, and Diallo is the man.

There’s a lot to like about this Ecuador side, and many have tipped them for a deep run this summer. They’re incredibly well equipped at the back, with the likes of Pacho and Hincapie commanding serious respect. But, look further forward and Moises Caicedo is the heartbeat of this nation.

Cicero’s defensive colleagues are absolutely as important to this squad as he is, but the Chelsea man knits this midfield together. He gets through a ridiculous amount of work, and that’s actually evidenced in both his numbers on and off the ball. He drew more fouls than any other player in qualifying for Ecuador, averaging 2.00 fouls drawn P/90, and that’s testament to both his ability to drive with the ball, and his willingness to put his body on the line.

This is a selection that landed in 11 of Caicedo’s qualifying outings, and in seven of his final 10 appearances during the qualifying campaign. On the World stage, I’d expect more of the same; Caicedo will be putting in the same work against an Ivorian midfield that will relish this kind of battle. The likes of Sangare, Kessie, and Fofana are all phenomenally aggressive, with the Sangare and Kessie combining for 5.83 fouls P/90 at AFCON.

You’re looking at two nations here that play with very different shapes and in very different ways. Whilst they do utilise wide men, Ecuador can be quite compact, as evidenced by their incredible defensive record in qualifying. Ivory Coast meanwhile, love to play with width.

As a result, there will be space down the flanks in this one, and with Yan Diomande, Amad Diallo, Simon Adingra, and Nicolas Pepe to call upon, there’s corners to be had as the Ivorian’s look to force the play in behind. Ivory Coast averaged 7.17 corners per game at AFCON from December through into January, and they managed at least five corners in all five of their outings. Their playstyle hasn’t changed since, and they will have success here.

This isn’t an area Ecuador tend to struggle with, but there were suggestions late in qualifying that they could be got at in this market, having conceded at least five corners to both Paraguay and Argentina in their final two games. However, this is a complete change of pace; Ivory Coast play a very different brand of football to most of the South American sides, and the direct threat out wide could well bring them joy.