Sporting Cristal (home)
- Sporting Cristal are inconsistent with three wins and two defeats in their last five competitive games (all competitions).
- Sporting Cristal Lima are a possession-based team that play with a target-man up front and wide overloads to stretch the opposition.
- Felipe Vizeu is a physical presence in the Sporting Cristal attack and he has been a focal point for his teammates to get the ball into, but his finishing has been erratic in recent weeks.
- Luis Ibérico is the club’s leading scorer in Liga 1 this season and can be a constant threat from crosses and set pieces.
- Yoshimar Yotún, who adds creativity and experience to the midfield, is usually the focal point for ball progression and connecting the defense to attack.
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Recent stats:
- Sporting Cristal are mid-table in Peru’s Liga 1 Apertura with 11 points from eight games and appear to be the less consistent of the two teams, although their scoring record at home is good.
Cerro Porteño (away)
- Cerro Porteño are second in the Paraguayan División Profesional Apertura with four wins and one defeat in their last five.
- Cerro Porteño are one of the best domestic sides in Paraguay and will travel to Lima confident that they can get a good result in this away game.
- Ariel Holan has recently taken over as manager and brings his style of positional possession with fluid midfield rotations and aggressive pressing.
- Juan Iturbe is an explosive player who can be decisive in these moments and has plenty of pace and creativity alongside his other attacking teammates.
Head-to-Head
Cerro Porteño took four points from Sporting Cristal in last season’s Copa Libertadores, drawing 2-2 at home and winning 1-0 in Lima.
Key Players
- Felipe Vizeu is a physical presence in the Sporting Cristal attack and he has been a focal point for his teammates to get the ball into, but his finishing has been erratic in recent weeks.
- Luis Ibérico is the club’s leading scorer in Liga 1 this season and can be a constant threat from crosses and set pieces.
- Juan Iturbe is an explosive player who can be decisive in these moments and has plenty of pace and creativity alongside his other attacking teammates.
Betting Insights
The odds of 2.96 for an away win are quite attractive and reflect the market’s respect for the visitors, but we also fancy the Over 2.5 total goals bet at 2.25 , both teams to score at 1.91 and we expect both teams to be on the board in this game.
Prediction
We think Cerro Porteño have the momentum and mental edge to take the win in a high-scoring game in Lima on Thursday.
