Uruguay vs Ecuador: Match preview, head-to-head and predicted line-ups
What's the story
Record champions Uruguay get set for their biggest international tournament of the year, as they take on Ecuador in the fifth match of the Copa America 2019 at the Estádio Mineirão in Belo Horizonte.
Uruguay have won the tournament on record 15 occasions and would like to get off to a winning start, against minnows Ecuador.
Here is the match preview.
Previous ties
Uruguay triumph Uzbekistan, Ecuador succumb to Mexico
As for the last match of the sides, Uruguay are coming off a 3-0 win over Panama in a friendly, while Ecuador suffered a close 2-3 loss to Mexico.
Since the 2018 World Cup, Uruguay have played nine matches, winning and losing four matches each.
As for Ecuador, they have managed four wins in 12 matches.
Team news
Luis Suarez, Antonio Valencia among players to make impact
Among the players, Uruguay's Luis Suarez was a surprise addition to the squad despite his recent knee surgery.
Although it's not sure if he would feature, the likes of Edinson Cavani, Cristhian Stuani and Maxi Gomez could be equally dangerous.
For Ecuador, Antonio Valencia too was a surprise addition, having missed the majority of the 2018-19 season, but he could still make an impact.
Data
Uruguay have a strong edge over Ecuador
Overall, both the teams have clashed on 47 occasions, with Uruguay reigning supreme on 30 of them, besides 11 draws. The last game between the sides was during the World Cup Qualifiers in 2016, where Uruguay won 2-1.
Predicted XI
Here are the predicted XI for both the sides
Uruguay (4-4-2): Fernando Muslera, Martín Caceres, José Gimenez, Diego Godin, Diego Laxalt, Nahitan Nandez, Rodrigo Bentancur, Matías Vecino, Nicolás Lodeiro, Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani.
Ecuador (4-3-3): Máximo Banguera, José Quintero, Robert Arboleda, Gabriel Achilier, Beder Caicedo, Jefferson Orejuela, Carlos Gruezo, Jefferson Intriago, Antonio Valencia, Enner Valencia, Renato Ibarra.
Match details
When, where and how to watch?
Match: Uruguay vs Ecuador
Venue: Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte.
Time: 3.30 AM IST (Monday)
Where to watch (TV): There is no broadcast of the tournament in India.
Where to watch (Online): There is no official streaming of the tournament in India.