The South American qualification period for the 2026 World Cup is now well underway and we have one final set of matches before the players return to club duty. Ecuador host Colombia at 00:30 BST on Wednesday morning and I’ve previewed the clash to pick out a couple of betting angles.
Team News
Ecuador’s squad is one that is packed full of talent. Kevin Rodriguez got his first goal for his country in injury time to secure a 2-1 win over Bolivia and Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo is a dominant force in midfield. Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie is also just 21, the same age as Caicedo, so the future looks incredibly bright. They have a fully fit squad to choose from for this game.
Luis Diaz, Jhon Duran and Luis Sinisterra are Colombian stars who will all be familiar to fans of the Premier League, while Watford’s Yaser Asprilla is in the squad aged just 19. Colombian icon and captain James Rodriguez is still knocking about, now playing for Sao Paulo at the age of 32. Camilo Vargas will miss this one having been sent off against Uruguay in their recent 2-2 draw.
Match Odds
Ecuador are 19/20 to take the win in this match, while a draw is priced at 2/1 with Betfred. Colombia are 11/4 to take all three points away from home.
BTTS Yes @ EVS
The attacking talent on show in this match is undeniable. Colombia, with the likes of Liverpool’s Luis Diaz, played out a thrilling 2-2 draw with Uruguay in their most recent fixture and have scored three goals in their three matches so far. Meanwhile, after losing 1-0 to Argentina, Ecuador have secured back-to-back 2-1 wins against Uruguay and Bolivia respectively.
This feels like it should be an open encounter with plenty of chances at both ends. Ecuador, having had three points deducted for fielding an unregistered player, now know they have to attack their home matches in order to finish in the top six. There’s goals to be had in this match.
Ecuador 2-1 Colombia @ 15/2
Felix Sanchez’s side would be above their opponents in third position had they not had those three points deducted. From what we have seen so far, they are a top class outfit and are aiming to qualify for their fifth World Cup. They needed a 96th-minute winner to beat Bolivia last Friday, but got the job done to record back-to-back victories by the same scoreline.
Given I believe both teams will find the net here, I’m also leaning towards the home side for a narrow victory. Ecuador can continue their good form with a positive result here, and a 2-1 scoreline is a healthy price at 15/2.
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