Ecuador will face France on June 25 in the last block of games in Group E. The game will be played at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In an article on Bleacher Report, Ecuador is second in Group E in terms of goal difference. They have to win against France to position better than Switzerland. Switzerland is also set to play against Honduras. The game is not expected to be easy for La Tri since France has been very aggressive in their past games. They conceded two times but garnered a total of eight goals in two matches. The defense of France has also shown to be very tight so Ecuador has to use a few secret strategies if they intend to cause some damage. Ecuador 2014 is much better than in 2010 and won over Honduras and Switzerland.
In a report by The Independent, France is at the top spot of Group E and continued to show team work and powerful plays in past matches. The odds for Ecuador to win are 15.4 while the odds for France to win are 17.20. The odds of the match ending in a draw are 13.5. Ecuador has no record of ever beating France.
Ecuador can also rely on Honduras winning over Switzerland to secure their position and move on to the knockout round. The key players for Ecuador will be Enner Valencia and Jefferson Montero. Valencia scored all three goals for Ecuador in the last two group stage games. He was a consistent scorer when it comes to international games. France is expected to rely on Olivier Giroud. He scored the 100th goal of France in the World Cup.
Ecuador is expected to use 4-4-2 consisting of Dominguez, Paredes, Guagua, Erazo, Ayovi, Valencia, Minda, Noboa, Montero, E. Valencia and Caicido. France is expected to employ 4-1-4-1 consiting of Lloris, Debuchy, Varane, Sakho, Evra, Sagna, Valbuena, Matuidi, Pogba, Benzema and Giroud.
Mamadou Sakho has a minor thigh injury and may sit out during the game to recover for the next games. Yohan Cabaye is suspended. Didier Deschamps of France is expected to rotate the line-up to help key players recuperate, considering that they have the advantage of being first place.
The Ecuador vs. France match will kick off at 9:00 BST/4 p.m. ET. The match may be viewed on BBC One in the United Kingdom and ESPN in the United States. Live streaming will be available on BBC iPlayer and ESPN Player.
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