David Flower
Dailysports's expert
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One of the matches of the third round of the Copa Libertadores group stage will be played on Thursday at the Jorge Luis Hirschi Stadium, where the local Estudiantes will host Botafogo. I suggest betting on goals in this match with a good odds.
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Match preview
The Argentinians from Estudiantes managed to showcase their strength again last season by winning several titles. In the Primera, the team finished only 12th, but they won the Professional League Cup and the Champions Trophy. In the new championship campaign, the team started quite confidently, but their game took a sharp downturn in spring.
As a result, Estudiantes is in seventh place, having only a one-point advantage in the fight to get into the top 8. In the last round, Estudiantes suffered an away defeat to Boca Juniors with a score of 0-2. As for the Copa Libertadores, after two matches, Estudiantes has three points. In the first round, they confidently defeated Venezuelan Carabobo (2-0), but in the second, despite an early goal, they conceded and eventually lost to Universidad de Chile with a minimal score of 1-2.
For Botafogo, the past season was truly golden—the team from Rio de Janeiro achieved a historic double, winning the Copa Libertadores and becoming the Brazilian champions for the first time in their history. However, the new football year is far from being as triumphant. First, the team did not reach the state championship playoffs, then they lost twice to Racing from Avellaneda in the battle for the South American Super Cup.
And in Serie A, the Brazilians look unconvincing: a hard-fought draw with São Paulo (2-2) was followed by a narrow defeat to Atlético Mineiro. In the continental tournament, the current trophy holders are not performing confidently. After two rounds, Botafogo has three points, but they are behind their competitor by additional metrics. In the first match, the club lost away to Universidad de Chile (0-1), and then at home, they took their first points in the game against Venezuelan Carabobo, winning 2-0.
Probable lineups
- Estudiantes: Mansilla, Arsamendia, Rodriguez, Nunez, Mesa, Neves, Piovi, Medina, Ascacibar, Carrillo, Palacios
- Botafogo: Victor, Cuyabano, Ricardo, Jair, Vitinho, Savarino, Freitas, Gregore, Jesus, Arthur, Martins
Match facts and head-to-head
- The teams played in the Copa Libertadores back in 2017, exchanging home victories
- The "Over 2.5" bet won in two out of four matches
- The "Both teams to score" option won in two out of four matches
Prediction
Bookmakers are siding with Estudiantes in this match, offering odds of 2.10 for the home win. We believe that this will be a tense match and there is a high probability that the "Under 2.5" will play out with odds of 1.60.
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