Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
The Round 4 clash of the Copa Sudamericana group stage will take place on Friday at the Inca Garcilaso de la Vega stadium, where local side Cienciano will host Caracas. I’m backing a bet on goals in this match with an attractive odds offering.
Match Preview
Cienciano, under the guidance of Cristian Desio, continues to battle in the Sudamericana, remaining unbeaten at this stage. However, three consecutive draws have somewhat stalled their progress in the group race, forcing them to chase the leaders. Currently, Cienciano sits third in the standings, but they trail the leading pair by just two points.
It’s worth noting that home games remain a strong suit for the Peruvians: the team consistently creates dangerous chances and plays aggressive football on their own turf. For example, in the current campaign, Cienciano drew at home with Atlético Mineiro (0-0). The main attacking threat continues to be Carlos Garcés, who has already netted eight goals this season. Nevertheless, defense remains a problematic area—defensive errors can easily nullify their attacking efforts.
Caracas, led by Aristeguieta, are showing gritty football and currently occupy second place in the group, having not lost a single match. The key so far was grabbing three points away against Deportes Iquique in the opening round – 2-1. Meanwhile, at home, Caracas drew with both Cienciano and Atlético Mineiro.
Despite their solid results, Caracas often finds themselves in open battles—as evidenced by the 11 goals conceded in their last five matches. Even so, the Venezuelan attack consistently troubles opponents: Echenique, in particular, stands out for his clinical finishing.
Probable lineups
- Cienciano: Barrios I., Estrada J., Amondarain M., Valoyes J., Gomez E., Torrejón S., Arias Fierro S. D., Romagnoli J., Benites Vargas L. E., Gentile G., Garcés C.
- Caracas: Benítez F., Rito E., La Manita F., Mago L., Yendis J., Vegas M., Rodriguez V., Heraldes L., Echenique E., De Santis J., Hernández J.
Match facts and head-to-head
- The teams previously met back in 2006, exchanging home victories
- The "Both teams to score" bet landed in two out of three matches
- The "Over 2.5 goals" bet hit in all three encounters
Prediction
Caracas are not afraid to play at high pace, even away from home, which sometimes brings success but also leaves space for opponents’ counterattacks. We believe the home side will push to beat Caracas, so our bet for this match is "Cienciano win with a -1.0 handicap" at odds of 1.70.
