Hosts Qatar face Ecuador on Sunday in the first match of the controversial 2022 World Cup.
The home nation are underdogs for the fixture, and have been starved of competitive football of late, having automatically qualified for the tournament.
Ecuador impressed in CONMEBOL qualification to reach this World Cup. It is just the fourth time La Tricolor have appeared at a World Cup, with group stage exits in 2002 and 2014, plus a round of 16 appearance in 2006.
To Win To Nil: Ecuador
Ecuador haven’t conceded in seven matches. Four of those have ended scoreless.
While the first match at previous World Cups has often provided a lot of goals, this looks set to be a low-scoring affair.
Qatar are not exactly a prolific goal scoring team, and it’s no secret they are short on quality compared to their opponents.
Every member of the squad plays in the Qatari league at club level, while Ecuador boast players from top leagues in Brazil, Germany, England and beyond.
Anytime Goalscorer: Enner Valencia
The only player in the Ecuador squad with more than eight international goals, Enner Valencia has found the net 34 times in 75 caps for his country.
The former West Ham man has just one goal in seven caps this calendar year, yet his form for Fenerbahçe has been stellar with 15 goals in 22 appearances in all competitions.
Valencia has pedigree in international tournaments, too, with a pair of goals at the 2014 World Cup, two more at the Copa América Centenario and an equaliser against Chile at the 2019 Copa América.
Most Corners: Ecuador
Ecuador won the second-most corners and conceded the third-fewest in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying.
Qatar are going to go for the win here, knowing a victory is their best chance of progressing to the knockout rounds.
Ecuador have the better players, though, and should be able to control the match, leading to more corners than their hosts.
All odds are subject to change