Ecuador take on Uruguay in the CONMEBOL 2018 World Cup Qualifiers at the Estadio OlÃmpico Atahualpa in Quito tonight, and both teams will look keen on building on their impressive unbeaten form in the qualifiers so far.
Uruguay stay on top of the ten-team table with six points, while Ecuador also boast of a similar record, and they are placed second. It's only the goal difference that seperates the two teams in the table.
The visitors have got past Bolivia and Colombia in their previous two games, and that momentum may boost them to go ahead and record a favourable result once more tonight. Veteran defender Diego Godin has surprisingly got back his goalscoring boots as he scored for Uruguay in both the previous games.
Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez remains only upbeat ahead of the game. "We are going to go into these matches with the same mentality," Tabarez was quoted by Sportal. "We want to work hard on limiting the opponent, trying to create problems with the aim of getting points.
"We're ready and are preparing," the two-time South American coach of the year added.
One of the most striking things about these two teams is that neither have conceded any goal in their qualifiers so far.
Ecuador come into the game against a backdrop of wins against South American heavyweights Argentina and Bolivia, and just like Godin, Ecuador striker Felipe Caicedo has got on the scoresheet on both games.
The archetypal battle between a defender (Godin) and a striker (Caicedo) will be the one to watch today, for sure.
Despite the absence of key players like Antonio Valencia (foot injury) and Enner Valencia today, Ecuador coach Gustavo Quinteros remains positive."We have lost important players," Quinteros told Radio La Prensa. "But we have good alternatives to cover their absences."
Good news for the visitors is that hotshots Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani remains available for the game, but defender Jose Gimenez is unavailable owing to a hamsting injury.
Where to watch Live
CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier: Ecuador vs Uruguay is scheduled for a 2:30 am IST (9 pm GMT, 10 pm BST, 4 pm ET) start.
Audience in India can catch the game on Sony Six SD.
The US audience can catch the game live on beIN Sports USA and beIN Sports en Espanol. Stream the game live on beIN Sports Connect and Fubo TV.
Viewers in Uruguay can catch the game on VTV Uruguay and TyC Sports Internacional, while viewers in Ecuador can catch the game on TyC Sports Internacional, Gamavision, and Ecuavisa.
There will be no live coverage of the game in the UK.
