Mexico vs Ecuador Predicted Lineups & Team News

Co-hosts Mexico's FIFA World Cup adventure continues on home soil on Tuesday (7pm local/Wednesday 2am BST, ITV1/STV) when they welcome Ecuador to the Azteca.

El Tri secured their spot in the knockout stage on matchday two, while Ecuador required a resilient effort against Germany on matchday three to reach the second phase of the tournament for the first time in history. Below I run through the Mexico vs Ecuador team news and predicted lineups.

Mexico

Mexico have a clean bill of health coming into this clash, allowing boss Javier Aguirre to name his strongest possible XI in Mexico City.

Veteran striker Raul Jimenez was rested against the Czech Republic but he's expected to come back in to lead the line against Ecuador. It seemed like Santiago Gimenez was going to be given a rare start in that match but he was also named on the bench.

Edson Alvarez will anchor the midfield while Cesar Montes and Johan Vasquez are set to partner each other in the back line once again.

Goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa was brought on against the Czech Republic to mark appearances at six World Cups, but he's unlikely to feature ahead of Raul Rangel on Tuesday.

Ecuador

Ecuador also have no injuries reported ahead of this tussle and boss Sebastien Beccacece is probably hesitant to tinker with the side that came from behind to defeat Germany.

Nilson Angulo was impressive on the left flank and if he plays like he did in the last game, he can cause problems for Mexico right-back Jorge Sanchez.

Joel Ordonez, Willian Pacho and Piero Hincapie should line up in defence again alongside Alan Franco, who's a midfielder by trade.

Thirty-six-year-old striker Enner Valencia finds himself one goal away from half a century but he remains La Tri's all-time top scorer. He's expected to retain his place up front, but Kevin Rodriguez may have earned a place in the team for his role as the battering ram in the second half against Germany.

Remember you can bet on this match and check out all of the live Mexico vs Ecuador Odds over on betfred.com

Mexico vs Ecuador Key Players:

Julian Quinones (Mexico)

I think star quality will be the difference in this game. I'm expecting it to be a cagey contest but the pressure will be on the home side. Someone they can turn to in times of trouble is Julain Quinones, who's been a bright spark on the left flank for El Tri.

The attacker has already bagged himself a couple of goals at the tournament and he's not shy to try his luck from range. He's yet to profit from such situations but it's probably not going to defer him against Ecuador.

Nilson Angulo (Ecuador)

Angulo put in one hell of a shift against Germany to help Ecuador make history at the World Cup. The winger scored the goal to bring his side level after conceding an early goal. This saw his influence on the game grow and he was a constant threat down the left wing.

In his current mood, he should be full of confidence ahead of this fixture in Mexico City. He might not have the backing of the home crowd but he helped defy the odds with his excellent performance last time out.

For all of our coverage and betting markets for the festival of football this summer, please check out our World Cup Odds over on betfred.com