The second round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup will begin on November 25 with a match between the Netherlands and Ecuador. Both teams, i.e Netherlands and Ecuador won their opening games by the same margin (2-0). This makes today's match interesting because whoever wins will only be the only team from Group A to directly go to the next round.
The Netherlands prevailed over a spirited Senegalese squad, while Ecuador easily defeated the tournament hosts i.e Qatar, which is widely considered as the weakest team in the competition.
The odds of either Ecuador or the Netherlands advancing to the next round are high. If they win this game, they will advance to the next round. The disappointment of failing to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup must still be fresh in the Netherlands' minds, and the team will stop at nothing to win over the hearts and minds of its supporters.
Inconsistent performance at FIFA World Cups has plagued the Netherlands' history. While they have made it to the finals three times (1974, 1978, and 2010) and placed third in 2018. Netherlands have missed 7 out of the 16 tournaments they've played to date.
In the first match on November 20th, La Tricolor was too well-organized for Qatar. On November 25 they will play the Netherlands, and on November 29 they will play Senegal. Both happen to be the two toughest teams in their group. After suffering a crushing defeat at the hands of the Dutch, Senegal will be eager for revenge. The Latin American team is aware that a draw could still be advantageous to them.
The Oranje won one of the two international friendlies played between the two teams (in 2006 and 2014), while the other game ended in a draw. The Netherlands' record against South American teams at FIFA world cups is also very good. Since losing to Brazil in 1994, they have won 12 of their last 14 matches.
While sidelined by injury, Memphis Depay has scored 42 goals for his country's national team to date. The Dutch forward should replace Vincent Janssen in the starting lineup against Ecuador. Davy Klaassen, Cody Gakpo, and Steven Bergwijn, all wingers, should also shine. For Ecuador, all eyes will be on Enner Valencia, who was instrumental in the team's win over Qatar.
The match between the Netherlands and Ecuador will take place in the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha on November 25 at 9:30 PM (Indian time).
Jio Cinema's app and website will provide free live streaming of the Netherlands vs. Ecuador match and all information will keep on getting updated in real time. The match will also be broadcast live on the Sports18 and Sports18 HD TV channels in India.
