Ecuador vs Italy prediction 24.03.2024

• Competition: Friendly International
• Date: Sunday, 24th March 2024
• Kickoff: 20:00 UTC / 21:00 CET
• Venue: Red Bull Arena (Harrison, NJ)

After winning the Euro 2020, Italy experienced a massive setback as they failed to secure the World Cup appearance (second in a row). But after a failure in the WC Qualifiers, Italy played well in the UEFA Nations League, winning the group and finishing 3^rd in the Playoffs. In the EURO Qualifiers, Italy were not too impressive. Yes, they secured the EURO appearance but were on a level with points with Ukraine, which played their home games on a neutral pitch. The general impression is that Italy are a step behind the best teams in the World at this moment, but they are still a dangerous team capable of a lot.

Ecuador are 31^st on the FIFA World Ranking list and the number five in the South America region. They were solid in the previous World Cup in Qatar, as they had the opportunity to advance to the knockout phase in the final game of the group phase but lost to Senegal and blew the historic opportunity. After the World Cup, Ecuador started another WC Qualification cycle well, holding 5^th place with eight points. But they had a three-point deduction, and if it weren’t for that, they would have had an even better situation.

Italy vs Ecuador pick: Italy to win

Recently, Italy has shown stellar performance in their past eight matches, their only loss being a close 2:1 game against England in London. Over the past several years, the striker position had been a persistent issue for Italy. To address this, the federation brought in Argentine-born Mateo Retegui, a decision that appears to have been a wise one. The young striker has already netted four goals in his first five games, including two in the most recent match against Venezuela. If he remains fit, Retegui could be a significant asset to the team.

Ecuador has been performing well, with only one loss in their last ten games. However, most of their opponents have been mediocre teams, undeniably less formidable than Italy. Their defense has been outstanding recently, maintaining a clean sheet in their last four games. This will undoubtedly present Italy with a challenging task of scoring. Nonetheless, we are of the opinion that Italy is the superior team and should secure a win.