ECUADOR and Jamaica square off in Group B of the Copa America with both teams seeking their first win in the competition. The Ecuadorians will consider their opening results as a blip and will fancy their chances of getting past Jamaica.
Ecuador began their Copa America campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Venezuela last Sunday. Despite playing much of the contest with 10 men, they scored first through Jeremy Sarmiento before conceding twice late on.
Manager Felix Sanchez will consider that result a minor blip after playing most of the game with 10 men following an early red card to Enner Valencia. The overall performance was positive and the Ecuadorians will believe they can bounce back against Jamaica.
Jamaica are also coming off a defeat as they were beaten 2-1 by Mexico in their opening Group B fixture. They had chances to score, with Michail Antonio also seeing a goal ruled out by VAR.
The result may be disappointing but the attacking display will be pleasing to manager Heimir Hallgrimsson. However, the Jamaicans looked a bit suspect at the back, offering lots of opportunities to Mexico, who could have won by more but for some poor finishing.
How the bookies view it: Ecuador to win
Ecuador have been installed as overwhelming favourites among the bookies and are priced at 1/2 by Betfred to claim the win. A victory for Jamaica is valued at 5/1 while a draw is set at odds of 13/5.
Head to head: No blemishes for Ecuador
Ecuador have never lost to Jamaica having claimed two wins and a draw from three previous matches. The most recent meeting was a friendly in 2018 which ended 2-0 in favour of the Ecuadorians.
Players to watch: Eyes on Sarmiento
Jeremy Sarmiento was impressive in the opening fixture and scored Ecuador’s only goal. The forward will be the one to watch on Wednesday and is priced at 5/2 by Betfred to get on the score sheet.
Michail Antonio will be keen to get things right after seeing a goal chalked off by VAR in the opening fixture. The striker could be worth keeping an eye on to score anytime at 9/2 by Betfred to find the net.
Probable line-ups
Ecuador will be without captain Enner Valencia, who is suspended for Wednesday’s clash. The striker is likely to be replaced by Jordy Caicedo while Jeremy Sarmiento should retain his place in the team.
Jamaica are likely to retain much of the team that faced Mexico, with Michail Antonio leading the line alongside Demarai Gray and Shamar Nicholson.
Ecuador: Dominguez, Preciado, Torres, Pacho, Hincapie, Franco, Caicedo, Yeboah, Paez, Sarmiento, Caicedo
Jamaica: Waite, Bernard, Latibeaudiere, Pinnock, Lembiska, Decordova-Reid, Palmer, Leigh, Gray, Antonio, Nicholson
Anything else catch the eye?
Both teams showed some attacking verve in their opening fixtures and could be backed to score at 11/10 with Betfred. Ecuador saw over 2.5 goals in their opening fixture and a repeat is priced at 11/10 by Betfred, who is also offering 11/4 for over 3.5 goals.
Ecuador are priced at minimal odds for a straight victory, so a win and over 2.5 goals could be considered at 13/8 with Betfred. The Ecuadorians could also be backed to score in both halves at 13/8 with Betfred.
This Copa America match between Ecuador and Jamaica will be played on Jun 26, 2024 and kick off at 23:00. Check below for our tipsters best Ecuador vs Jamaica prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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