Corinthians Paulista
- Corinthians Paulista have won 4 and drawn 1 of their last 5 matches, including their last 3 consecutively.
- Corinthians Paulista are top of Copa Libertadores Group E with 9 points after 3 matches.
Independiente Santa Fe
Santa Fe are third with 1 point .
Head-to-Head
- Corinthians Paulista and Independiente Santa Fe have a very different character and style of play, but both are a lot more than just the sum of their parts when the match gets underway.
- Fernando Diniz’s men play a free-flowing brand of soccer where 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 are just the starting point and the aim is to play quick, vertical combinations, dominate the ball, but press the life out of the opponents when they don’t.
- Pablo Repetto’s Santa Fe are a more structured team, typically setting up in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 system where they want to control the pace of the match, especially at home, and be a threat on the break, particularly at altitude and in physical battles.
- Corinthians Paulista beat Independiente Santa Fe 2-0 in the same Copa Libertadores group stage two weeks ago.
Key Players
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Players to watch:
- Rodrigo Garro is the creative engine of Diniz’s team, having recorded four assists in his three Copa Libertadores games so far.
- Gustavo Henrique is the top scorer for Corinthians Paulista in the competition with two goals in three games.
- Jesse Lingard has chipped in with two in the last five for Corinthians Paulista and has shown the ability to finish off chances with ruthless efficiency.
- Hugo Rodallega has three in Santa Fe’s last five and will be the team’s main threat in attack.
- Emanuel Olivera has been Santa Fe’s most influential player in the Copa Libertadores to date with one goal and one assist in three group games.
Betting Insights
- Santa Fe have drawn their one home game in the group so far, while Corinthians Paulista have won their only away game so far.
- The Brazilians have scored an average of 2.00 goals per game and conceded an average of zero on the road, while Santa Fe have scored an average of 1.00 and conceded an average of 1.00 at home.
- The odds for this game seem oddly skewed as Corinthians Paulista are 2.54 to win, which seems too big a price for the outright favorites in this group.
- Under 2.5 goals and Both Teams to Score - No at 1.6 and 1.76 respectively, seem like good odds given both teams' recent tendencies.
- The visitors have kept three straight shutouts, including a 2-0 win over Penarol and a 1-0 win over Vasco da Gama.
Prediction
We will take Corinthians Paulista to claim the win in what should be a tight and low-scoring game.
