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Ecuador U20 and Slovakia U20 battle for three points in a 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup Group B fixture on Tuesday (May 23).
Ecuador kickstarted their campaign with a 1-0 defeat against USA on Saturday. Jonathan Gomez scored the winner in the third minute of injury time. Slovakia, meanwhile, went on a rampage in a 4-0 victory over Fiji.
Adam Gazi and Mate Szolgai scored first-half goals, while Artur Gajdos and Timotej Jambor scored quickfire second-half strikes to complete the rout. The win saw the European team climb to the summit of the group with three points. Ecuador are third in the standings and still seeking their first point of the campaign.
Ecuador U20 vs Slovakia U20 Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- This will be the first meeting between the two sides.
- Five of Ecuador's last six games have produced less than three goals.
- Five of Slovakia's last six games have produced at least three goals.
- Slovakia's 4-0 victory over Fiji snapped their run of five straight games that saw both sides score.
- Slovakia are on a five-game unbeaten run, winning four.
- Ecuador's best finish at the U-20 World Cup came in 2019 when they finished third.
- This is only Slovakia's second appearance at the U-20 World Cup. Their previous participation in 2003 saw them eliminated in the Round of 16.
Ecuador U20 vs Slovakia U20 Prediction
Ecuador fell to defeat against USA in harrowing cicrcumstances, as they conceded in injury time. The South American team will look to bounce back from the disappointment with a victory. Failure to do so will leave them with a mountain to climb in the race for automatic qualification.
Slovakia, meanwhile, claimed a routine win over whipping boys Fiji, and the victory put them on the cusp of the knockouts. Another victory for the Little Falcons will see them secure qualification to the knockouts ahead of their game against USA.
Although either team could nick a win, the spoils could be shared in a low-scoring stalemate.
Prediction: Ecuador 1-1 Slovakia
Ecuador U20 vs Slovakia U20 Prediction
Tip 1 - Result: Draw
Tip 2 - Both teams to score
Tip 3 - Under 2.5 goals
Tip 4 - Both halves to produce over 0.5 goals
