Enner Valencia’s first-half brace earned the South Americans a 2-0 victory over hosts Qatar on the opening night of the tournament on Sunday, while late Cody Gakpo and Davy Klaassen efforts helped the Dutch beat Senegal by the same scoreline 24 hours later.

That means, if Qatar beat Senegal in the earlier Group A match, an Ecuador win would secure their place in the last-16 with a game to spare.

If the African champions overcome the hosts, however, a Netherlands victory would put them through.

Both of these sides have some wriggle room, then, but they’ll doubtless be keen to make the most of the chance to take control of the group.

The traits of both could make this a free-flowing, high-tempo – and, perhaps, high-scoring – matchup.

TEAM NEWS

Netherlands

Whether Memphis Depay is fit enough to start appears to be the main decision that Louis van Gaal has to make.

The Barcelona forward came on for Vincent Janssen in the 62nd minute on Monday and went on to play a big part in the second goal, as Édouard Mendy parried his shot into Klaassen’s path.

That was his first appearance for club or country since a hamstring injury forced him off in the Netherlands’ 2-0 away win over Poland in September.

The length of the lay-off may encourage Van Gaal to take a cautious approach, although the sharpness he displayed earlier this week suggests he could boost the Dutch attack from the start against a strong-looking Ecuador side.

Alongside Memphis potentially coming in for Janssen, another possible change may be Jurriën Timber taking Matthijs de Ligt’s place on the right of the back-three.

De Ligt struggled in moments on Monday, particularly when defending in space against the likes of Ismaïla Sarr – and he picked up a booking.

Ajax’s Timber could offer a slightly nimbler alternative against a team who have often thrived on turnovers in recent times.

It would be understandable, however, if Van Gaal opted to retain the same backline – familiarity can be particularly valuable in that area of the field, of course.

Ecuador

The fitness of a key forward is also the primary talking point from El Tri’s perspective.

Two-goal hero, and captain, Enner Valencia suffered a knock during Sunday’s match. Manager Gustavo Alfaro stated in Thursday’s pre-match press conference that a final decision had not yet been made regarding the 33-year-old’s participation on Friday, although it did appear that the overall feelings were positive.

If the call is that the skipper is fit to play, there appears to be a good chance that Ecuador will field an unchanged side.

It will be interesting to see whether Alfaro opts for more of a 4-3-3, as opposed to the 4-4-2 used against Qatar, though. That could be a logical choice, in order to match-up with the midfield triumvirate of Steven Berghuis, Frenkie de Jong and Cody Gakpo that Van Gaal will likely utilise.

Likely lineups

Netherlands (3-4-1-2): 

23. Andries Noppert; 3. Matthijs de Ligt, 4. Virgil van Dijk (C), 5. Nathan Aké; 22. Denzel Dumfries, 11. Steven Berghuis, 21. Frenkie de Jong, 17. Daley Blind; 8. Cody Gakpo; 7. Steven Bergwijn, 10. Memphis Depay

Ecuador (4-4-2):

1. Hernán Galíndez; 17. Ángelo Preciado, 2. Félix Torres, 3. Piero Hincapié, 7. Pervis Estupiñán; 19. Gonzalo Plata, 20. Jhegson Méndez, 23. Moisés Caicedo, 10. Romario Ibarra; 11. Michael Estrada, 13. Enner Valencia (C)

KEY PLAYERS

Netherlands – Frenkie de Jong

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The Barcelona midfielder’s excellent 85th-minute delivery for Gakpo opened up the game for the Dutch on Monday, just as it looked to be heading towards stalemate.

It was a moment that was reflective of the rhythm-setting, difference-making quality that he can provide.

Known as one of the most press-resistant midfielders around, the 25-year-old could again prove a key figure on Friday, given Ecuador’s aforementioned efficiency in transition.

If he can escape pressure, he could just turn moments of jeopardy into ones of opportunity for the Dutch and, as a result, give the likes of Gakpo and Memphis additional space to attack.

Ecuador – Moisés Caicedo

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This does feel like a match where the midfield battle could be as fascinating as it is important.

The quality the Netherlands possess in the central third means that Caicedo’s range of technical, physical and tactical traits may be more valuable than ever.

Brighton’s No.25 tends to represent the engine of Alfaro’s team. So, if he can keep it ticking over, while disrupting elements of the Dutch rhythm, he could just give his country a chance of edging the contest. 

MATCH DETAILS

WHERE IS THE GAME BEING PLAYED?

Khalifa International Stadium, Ar-Rayyan

WHAT TIME IS KICK-OFF?

Kick-off is at 4pm GMT (UK) on Friday 25th November.

HOW CAN I WATCH?

In the UK, the game is due to be broadcast live on ITV1, ITVX, or STV in Scotland.

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