Published Jun 9, 4:52am ET by
Alex Dudley - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Jun 9, 4:52am ET
Credit: Shutterstock
Updated Jun 9, 4:52am ET
Group E is regarded as the Group of Death at the World Cup this summer, and a fascinating MD1 fixture will see the Ivory Coast and Ecuador collide.
Both nations will have realistic expectations of reaching the knockout round, but which team will gain maximum points on opening night in Group E in Philadelphia?
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|
|---|---|
| Ivory Coast | +262 |
| DRAW | +184 |
| Ecuador | +146 |
The Ivory Coast will be playing at their fourth World Cup this summer, and they will making their return to the global stage for the first time since 2014.
Emerse Faé’s team qualified impressively for the competition, winning eight of their ten matches, and scoring 25 goals without conceding. Despite exiting in the quarterfinals at AFCON, the Ivory Coast have continued to look very strong this year, winning four straight matches, which includes a recent win in Nantes against France.
With high-quality attackers such as Yan Diomande, Amad Diallo, and Elye Wahi, they could be one of the most exciting nations to watch on the counterattack this summer.
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I have huge expectations that Ecuador could upset the odds in Group E this summer.
Sebastian Beccacece’s team have been handed a challenging opening round draw, but huge confidence can be taken from their results in the latest qualifying cycle, including registering wins against Uruguay and Argentina. Their main strength is their defensive resilience, having allowed just five goals in 18 South American qualifiers.
Ecuador’s momentum should also be respected, as they have avoided defeat in all eleven internationals since the start of June, and they have won back-to-back encounters in their most recent warm-up fixtures against Saudi Arabia and Guatemala.
This is a fascinating MD1 encounter between two sides that have the ability to threaten an upset in Group E. However, I really like Ecuador’s defensive structure to get them far in the competition this summer, and they could kick off their campaign with a win to nil in Philadelphia.
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Pick
Ecuador (+146)
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