Lovin Predicts – 2022 World Cup Match 1: Qatar vs Ecuador
The FIFA World Cup 2022 will be held in Qatar from 20th November to 18th December. 32 teams will compete across 64 matches, and Lovin Malta will be sharing its analysis, predictions and key battles on the pitch ahead of some of the most important matches.
Qatar vs Ecuador: Overview
The opening match of the World Cup will consist of the host nation, Qatar facing off against South American regulars, Ecuador. The host nation will be making their debut on the grand stage, whilst this is the 4th edition that Ecuador will be competing in. All eyes will mainly be on the host nation, who were ranked 114th when they were awarded hosting rights for the tournament back in 2010. Will they be cannon fodder for their opponents, or will they present a surprisingly strong team to face? Match 1 will give us the answer to this question, a moment the Qatari’s have been working towards for over a decade.
Tactics and Formations
I expect to see the Qatari’s to line-up in a 3-5-2 formation which has rewarded them so well of late, with a triumph in the 2019 Asian Cup followed up by with a good showing in the 2021 CONCACAF tournament and the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup. Their opponents should line up in 4-3-3 formation which was mainly used throughout their gruelling qualifying campaign, quick reminder that it is no easy to feat to finish ahead of Colombia, Chile and Peru to reach this tournament.
This therefore gives me the impression that Ecuador should have more of the ball, but Qatar, thanks to their key wing backs and attacking players, will rely on their ability in transition to hurt their opponents.
Key Battles on the Pitch
1) Almoez Ali (26yo Al-Duhail (QTR) Striker) VS Piero Hincapie (20yo Bayer Leverkusen (GER) Centre-Back)
Almoez Ali vs Piero Hincapie
Almoez Ali is the man for the host nation. Top scorer in both the 2019 AFC Asian Cup with 9 goals, which led to temporary links to AC Milan, along with being the top scorer in the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup with 4 goals, all eyes will be on him to see if he can deliver on the grandest stage of all. However, his first key duel will be against arguably the man for Ecuador. Piero Hincapie has already earned rave reviews from those who follow the Bundesliga, and at 20 years old surely it will not be long till a move to a bigger club arrives. The World Cup marks the perfect opportunity for him to leave his mark, and what better way to start then to neutralize the hosts key player? Definitely a fascinating duel to keep an eye on for game 1!
2) Ro-Ro (32yo Al-Sadd (QTR) Right-Back) VS Pervis Estupinan (24yo Brighton Hove & Albion (ENG) Left-Back)
Portuguese born Ro-Ro (whose nicknamed after his 2 idols, the famous Brazilian forwards Ronaldo and Romario) has been playing in Qatar since 2011, and has become part of the fabric for both Al-Sadd, Qatar’s most successful club, and the national set-up since 2016. A fixture on the right hand side, he will be looking to shine in front of the world. His first duel will be up against Estupinan, a Champions League semi-finalist last season with Villareal which earned him a move to BPL side Brighton. A wing back who posses brilliant atheleticsm and defensive ability, Estupinan will look to continue to cement his name as one of Ecuador’s best products, and the battle on the flank with Ro-Ro will be key to Ecuador’s chances of starting off the tournament well.
3) Hassan Al-Haydos (32yo Al-Sadd (QTR) Attacking Midfielder) VS Carlos Gruezo (27yo FC Augsburg (GER) Defensive Midfielder)
Captain fantastic for both club and country, creative midfielder Al-Haydos, who is also capable of operating up front, will be living the rare of dream of captaining a host nation at a World Cup, with his main mission being to guide Qatar out of the group stages by supplying the 2 star forwards, the aforementioned Ali and Akram Afif. The man that will be tasks to shut him down? Tough tackling menace Carlo Gruezo, appearing in his 2nd World Cup after playing in Brazil 2014, this time will be one of the leading figures in the squad rather then a young prospect. Qatar’s chances for a positive result will definitely take some damage if Gruezo succesfully negates Al-Haydos from the match.
Prediction
I can understand the naysayers for saying Ecuador should beat Qatar, they are the stronger team on paper.
However, with the backing of home support, along with, by far, the longest preparation campaign for the tournament from all the participating teams, plus their recent positive tournament experiences, I’m not so sure Qatar will be a walkover.
In fact, I think they will give a decent showing of themselves, and I have this game down for a draw, 1-1.
Cover photo: Agencia de Noticias ANDES
Darren Abela is a sports correspondent with a keen interest in football analysis, Inter Milan, and anything Ferrari.
What’s your prediction for the opening game?