LUCKY Netherlands escaped with a 1-1 Group A draw against Ecuador on Friday, in the process ensuring hosts Qatar were eliminated from the competition even before their final game.

But Qatar could still have a say in the competition as they will be up against the Netherlands on Tuesday, when an unlikely win could upset the final standings.

The Dutch and Ecuador both have four points and Senegal have three, but only two sides can proceed to the knockouts so expect some real fire on the field.

As early as the sixth minute, Cody Gakpo had the orange army in raptures when he scored but this only served to ignite the Ecuadorian spirit, and they would have the next dozen uninterrupted shots at goal, through utter dominance.

But they would have to wait until the 49^th minute to equalise, with skipper Enner Valencia scoring his third goal of the tournament from a rebound.

Inspired by a large and extremely vocal band of fans, Ecuador poured on the pressure, doing everything but score – including one rocket shot from Gonzalo Plata that smacked the woodwork.

They rattled their Dutch opponents until the bitter end, giving them neither respite nor respect.

Ecuador are still very much in the mix. They deserve to go through but will have to get past Senegal first, and that’s no easy assignment.