Ecuador vs Chile Prediction: Life after Berizzo fails to lift La Roja

Chile take the notoriously difficult trip to Quito on Tuesday night (23:30), as they face Ecuador in round six of South America qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

The hosts are currently in sixth position in the group after two wins and two draws from their first five games, though they would be one place higher - above Brazil - were they not docked three points at the start of the campaign.

That deduction means they are level on points with managerless Chile, who have only won once so far, losing twice. Head coach Eduardo Berizzo resigned following the team's goalless draw with Paraguay on Thursday.

Team News

Ecuador came into this month's qualifiers without several key names, including all-time top goalscorer Enner Valencia and Brighton's Pervis Estupinan.

Disciplinary issues are plaguing Chile going into Tuesday, with La Roja having to make do without midfielder Victor Mendez as a result of the red card he picked up against Paraguay last week.

Veteran Gary Medel is also out due to an accumulation of yellow cards which means Paulo Diaz will shift to centre-back, allowing Matias Catalan to slot in at right-back.

However, Norwich City midfielder Marcelino Nunez is free to return after serving a suspension of his own on Thursday.

Match Odds

Ecuador are 1/2 to heap further misery on Chile and win in the capital, while they are 13/5 to record a third consecutive draw. Chile are priced at 11/2 to get their qualifying campaign back on track with a victory.

Both teams to score can be found at 5/4, or if you fancy Ecuador to get a hat-trick of 0-0's, it's 15/2.

Ecuador to win to nil @ 23/20

Ecuador lost just once at home in nine World Cup qualifiers for the 2022 tournament, and they're unbeaten in two in Quito this term.

Their 2-1 win over Uruguay in September looks even more impressive now, given La Celeste have drawn against Colombia and beaten Brazil and Argentina since.

Ecuador's second home game saw them keep a clean sheet in a goalless draw with Colombia, and this week's opponents, Chile, have only scored three goals in five games, failing to net in three of them.

South American qualifiers are notorious for being tight-knit affairs anyway, and the records of both sides points towards another low-scoring affair here, with Ecuador favourites to win.

Kendry Paez to score anytime @ 13/5

Chelsea fans may be interested observers in this game on Tuesday with the likely inclusion of a potential future Stamford Bridge superstar in the Ecuador XI.

The Premier League giants reached an agreement to sign 16-year-old Independiente del Valle attacker Kendry Paez in June, but the Ecuadorian is not allowed to move to England until after his 18th birthday in May 2025.

Despite the wait, Blues are already getting giddy after seeing Paez provide an assist on his international debut against Uruguay in September, and the teenage followed that up with his first international goal in October.

After just four caps Paez already looks to be making himself a mainstay in the national team, and with the continued absence of Valencia, Ecuador are looking for others to step up.

Paez wasn't shy in last week's goalless draw in Venezuela, taking a shot in the first 11 minutes of the game, and he's also taken on the role of free-kick taker at his club side.

There aren't many international goals in the Ecuador squad without Valencia, and Paez looks good value to be the one to end the team's two-game goalless run.

Check out our other World Cup 2026 Betting Tips here.