Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
One of the matches in the 6th round of the Copa Sudamericana group stage will take place on Friday at the El Teniente stadium, where local side Unión Española host Bolivia's San José. I’m suggesting a bet on goals in this clash with a solid odds value.
Match preview
The "Red Fury" are enduring one of their worst international campaigns in recent years — five rounds without a win and the resignation of their head coach have only highlighted the depth of their crisis. The team looks vulnerable both in defense, where positional mistakes abound, and in attack, where any consistent threat is lacking. Things aren’t any better in the Chilean league, with heavy defeats to Everton and Colo-Colo further bruising the club’s pride.
Nevertheless, despite the struggles, Unión Española will be eager to finish the group stage on a high note in front of their home fans. A key motivator could be the desire to avoid a humiliating zero in the ‘wins’ column, especially against an opponent who hasn’t exactly been a model of consistency either. However, defensive lapses have become routine — the team has conceded in each of their last nine matches, which is cause for concern.
Bolivia’s San José are also wrapping up their campaign with no shot at the playoffs, but unlike the Chileans, they managed to leave a mark in this year’s tournament — a victory over Fluminense was a real shocker. Still, that result was more of an exception than the rule: in their last 11 matches across all competitions, the club has won just once and lost seven times.
On the road, things get even worse: a run of five consecutive away defeats with 16 goals conceded shows just how much they struggle outside their comfort zone. Defensive organization and poor link-up play between the lines rob San José of any tactical trump cards.
Probable lineups
- Unión Española: F. Torgnascioli, S. Ramirez, V. Vidal, S. Pereira Arredondo, F. Espinoza, B. Jauregui, R. Vasquez, A. Uribe, I. Nuñez, P. Aránguiz, Mr. Suarez
- San José: B. Poveda, J. Ramallo, J. Villamil, R. Bustos, S. Villamil, S. Galindo, D. Roca, J. Lopez, F. Vasquez, A. Seimandi, R. Becerra
Match facts and head-to-head
- The first meeting between these teams finished 1-1.
- Unión Española have conceded in nine straight matches.
- San José have lost their last five away games by a combined score of 4-16.
Prediction
This game could be more open than it seems at first glance: both teams are under no pressure and have little motivation for the result, but each will want to salvage some pride after a disappointing campaign. Unión Española, playing at home, have the edge in quality and squad depth, but with such a shaky defense, a clean sheet seems unlikely. Our bet for this match is "Both teams to score" at odds of 1.87.
