Netherlands looked to be cruising into the knockout stage thanks to Cody Gakpo but they have been made to wait by the World Cup's top scorer.

Group A of the 2022 World Cup is going down to the wire after Ecuador produced a spirited fightback to earn a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands in Doha.

Enner Valencia's second-half strike, his third goal of the tournament, secured his side a deserved share of the spoils after Cody Gakpo, for the second game running, had opened the scoring for Louis van Gaal's men.

The Dutch had looked well set to all-but-clinch qualification when Gakpo struck after just five minutes, but they were unable to build on that early advantage, and Ecuador were full value for their point.

They may have even have clinched all three, only for Gonzalo Plata's strike to rebound to safety off the crossbar.

The stalemate means both teams need a point from their final game on Tuesday to seal qualification for the last 16.

The Netherlands take on Qatar, while Ecuador face Senegal, who got their first win of the tournament earlier on Friday.

Below, GOAL runs through the winners and losers of another tight contest…

Anne-Christine POUJOULAT/GettyThe Winners

Cody Gakpo:

Two games, two goals, and a few more European suitors sitting up and taking notice, one would presume. Having struck late against Senegal on Monday, Gakpo was lightning-fast out of the blocks this time around. His goal, timed at five minutes and four seconds, was the quickest of the World Cup so far. It was a hell of a strike, too, arrowed inside Hernan Galindez's near post with his left foot, after Davy Klaassen had seized upon a loose ball and fed the PSV Eindhoven man. That should have been the springboard for the Netherlands to secure qualification for the last 16, but they were second best for long periods thereafter, mustering only one more effort at goal in the remainder of the contest. Gakpo departed late on, replaced by the Burnley striker Wout Weghorst, and he will have been frustrated at his lack of impact after such an explosive start. Without him, though, his side would be in a far less promising place.

Enner Valencia:

The record-breaker is at it again. Having written his name into the history-books with his opening-game brace against Qatar, Valencia secured himself another record with his equaliser here. The 33-year-old has now scored each of Ecuador's last six World Cup goals, a feat only achieved three times previously, by Eusebio for Portugal in 1966, Paolo Rossi for Italy in 1982 and Oleg Salenko for Russia in 1994. He may not have set the Premier League alight in spells with West Ham and Everton, but put a yellow shirt on him and Valencia is transformed. He scores at better than a goal every two games at international level, and he has given Ecuador a real chance of qualification for the last 16 here. The only question now is whether he'll be around to help them finish the job.

Brighton:

The Ecuadorian connection with Brighton is a strong one, and on this evidence Roberto de Zerbi is going to have a lot of fun down at the Amex Stadium. Two of his players – Moises Caicedo and Pervis Estupinan – started here, while another – Jeremy Sarmiento – came off the bench in the second half. And Caicedo and Estupinan, in particular, were integral as Gustavo Alfaro's side hit back strongly after the shock of Gakpo's early opener. The Brighton boys combined for the leveller, Caicedo robbing Jurrien Timber in midfield and feeding Estupinan, whose low shot was well saved by Andries Noppert, with Valencia gobbling up the rebound. Caicedo has already been linked with a host of top clubs, Liverpool among them, and he displayed why here. He was energetic, he pressed superbly and he can play too. Estupinan, meanwhile, looked a class act down the left-hand side. His summer signing from Villarreal, whom he helped to the semi-finals of the Champions League last season, already looks a coup for the Seagulls.

AdvertisementGettyThe Losers

Enner Valencia

The highs and lows of football, encapsulated in the space of 45 minutes. Valencia, again, was the hero for Ecuador, his goal securing a priceless, and richly-deserved, draw against famous opposition. But he left the field on a stretcher, and his tournament must surely now be in jeopardy. The Fenerbahce man has been carrying a knee problem, and when he collapsed to the ground late on with nobody near him, you could see the panic on the faces of his teammates and coach. Hopefully, the diagnosis is a positive one, but it didn't look good on first viewing.

Nathan Ake:

One moment, one switch off, and look how costly it is. Ake, the Manchester City defender, performed well for 99 percent of this game, but he was found wanting as Ecuador grabbed their equaliser. First, he dropped too deep, playing Valencia onside in the process. Then, as Noppert reacted superbly to keep out Estupinan's strike, he stood still, appealing for a flag which never came while Valencia, who was on his toes, gleefully tucked away the rebound. He was not solely culpable. Timber, the right-sided centre-back, was the one who gifted the Ecuadorians possession in the first place, while Virgil van Dijk, the captain, could certainly have closed down Estupinan with more aggression. All in all, a sequence which cost the Dutch dear.

Steven Bergwijn:

Two games, and very little to suggest that he should be in the starting line-up. If Bergwijn was quiet against Senegal, he was anonymous here. No shots, one touch in the opposition penalty area and a complete lack of presence throughout. He only lasted 45 minutes, and it was no surprise. Memphis Depay, the second-highest goalscorer in Dutch history, was summoned from the bench, and while the Barcelona man did not do too much more than Bergwijn, his pedigree alone surely means he will start against Qatar next week.

GettyNetherlands Ratings: Defence

Andries Noppert (7/10):

Good save from Valencia in the first half, and unlucky with the equaliser after a fine stop to deny Estupinan. Not to blame.

Denzel Dumfries (6/10):

Very advanced for the most part, which gave Estupinan plenty of space to exploit. Didn't deliver enough quality.

Jurrien Timber (5/10):

Unsurprisingly replaced De Ligt in the side, but was dispossessed for Ecuador's equaliser and did not look particularly comfortable throughout.

Virgil van Dijk (6/10):

Two big penalty-box interventions in the first half, and a big block to deny Valencia in the second. Too casual for the equaliser though.

Nathan Ake (5/10):

Poor for the equaliser, playing Valencia onside and then appealing rather than going for the loose ball. Otherwise he did well.

Daley Blind (6/10):

Offered precious little going forward and looked leggy as the game wore on.

Getty ImagesMidfield

Frenkie de Jong (6/10):

Looked classy when carrying the ball and got through plenty of work, though found it hard to really get control against the physicality and energy of the Ecuador midfield.

Teun Koopmeiners (5/10):

Bullied at times, though he was nothing if not hard-working.

Davy Klaassen (6/10):

Created the opener for Gakpo with good reading of the game, and was tidy enough without being outstanding.