Both the Netherlands and Ecuador won their opening games against Senegal and Qatar, respectively.
A win for either club might enable them advance to the knockout stages and possibly take first position.
The Netherlands are the favorites to win Group A and advance further in the tournament.
They have won 12 of their last 14 games against South American opposition, so history is on their side. They will be looking to win early and rest some key players.
On the other hand, Ecuador’s record versus European opponents at the World Cup since 2006 does not bode well.
However, their recent form, combined with their impressive defensive resilience (7 consecutive clean sheets since March), means that neither the Netherlands nor the spectators should write them off.
Netherlands vs Ecuador predicted starting XIs
Netherlands XI (3-4-1-2): Noppert; Ake, Van Dijk, De Ligt; Blind, De Jong, Berghuis, Dumfries; Gakpo; Bergwijn, Janssen
Ecuador XI (4-4-2): Galindez; Estupinan, Hincapie, Torres, Preciado; Ibarra, Caicedo, Mendez, Plata; Estrada, Valencia