Kirin Cup losers' match: Ecuador vs Panama. Match prediction for October 5
Ecuador
Panama
On Monday, Ecuador and Panama will face off in a fierce third-place playoff at the Kirin Cup. This clash will give both teams an excellent opportunity to make amends for their painful semifinal defeats, round off their international tournament campaign on a high note and delight their loyal fans with an entertaining, high-quality performance full of goals.
Ecuador produced a solid and disciplined defensive display in their Kirin Cup semifinal, holding tournament hosts Japan to a goalless 0-0 draw in normal time. However, fortune deserted the Ecuadorians in the penalty shootout, where the Japanese proved more clinical from the spot. Now, the South American side will look to carry its best qualities into the upcoming encounter while adding more aggression, tempo and variety in the final phase of positional attacks in order to break through the opponents' defensive lines with the support of the stands.
Panama also suffered the bitter taste of defeat in a penalty shootout in their semifinal after a hard-fought 1-1 draw with New Zealand in normal time. The Panamanians showed plenty of fighting spirit and an ability to make effective use of set pieces, but ultimately fell short against their opponents. In the third-place playoff, the visitors are determined to put in a strong performance, hoping that a compact mid-block, total commitment in duels and rapid attacks down the flanks will cause serious problems for the South Americans.
The tactical battle is likely to begin with both sides exercising caution, but the teams will inevitably open up as the match progresses. Nevertheless, I do not expect a high-scoring encounter.
Prediction
In my view, the teams will approach the match with one eye on testing their immediate squad options and trying out new player combinations, which will affect the quality of the game. My prediction: under 2.5 goals at 1.7
