- Cerro Porteno have failed to win their last 2 home games against Palmeiras.
- Palmeiras are unbeaten in their last 5 games (W3, D2).
- Cerro Porteno are unbeaten in their last 3 home games (W2, D1).
Palmeiras can prove too strong in Paraguay
The Cerro Porteno vs Palmeiras prediction is that Cerro Porteno will need to be at their best to see off Brazilian powerhouse Palmeiras in the Copa Libertadores Group F on Thursday.
The Paraguayans are third with 3 points, but the Sao Paulo club are top with 4 points from 2 games. Anything but an away win could be a disappointment for the visitors, who have won the last 3 head-to-head meetings between the sides, including a 2-0 success in Paraguay on their travels in last season’s Copa Libertadores.
The Cerro Porteno vs Palmeiras prediction is further strengthened by the fact that Palmeiras are on a 3-game winning streak in which they have beaten EC Jacuipense 3-0 in the cup and CA Paranaense 1-0 in the league. Abel Ferreira’s side have drawn their only away game so far, but they are coming up against a side that are very different to those two Brazilian clubs.
Holan has made Cerro a different proposition
Ariel Holan took over as Cerro coach recently and has made them into something of a possession-based, positional team. They are much more compact in build-up and much more active in terms of pressing opponents than they were under previous regimes.
The Blue and Whites edged Junior Barranquilla 1-0 at home in their only Libertadores home game so far, and followed that up with a 1-1 draw at home to Sportivo Ameliano in the Paraguay Primera Division. So they are a little inconsistent at present, having won two, drawn two and lost one of their last five in all competitions.
This Cerro Porteno vs Palmeiras preview highlights that Palmeiras are a much more structured team, with Ferreira’s disciplined pressing and swift transitions making them a potent force even when he was on the sidelines in recent domestic games. The Brazilian giants have not yet won an away game in Group F, but should get their passports stamped this week if they can take Cerro’s midfield apart.
An interesting tactical battle is likely
This tactical battle will be analyzed further in our Cerro Porteno vs Palmeiras betting tips, focusing on who controls the tempo and that will be the main area of interest in what could be a fascinating tactical battle. Palmeiras create plenty of overloads in wide areas to stretch defences and can be deadly on the counter-attack, but will not have as much of the ball as they would like against Holan’s men.
Jonathan Torres leads Cerro’s scoring in the Libertadores group stage with 1 goal in 2 matches, but Ignacio Aliseda has bagged 3 in their last 5 and is their most likely scorer on Thursday. Palmeiras striker Jose Lopez has 1 goal in 2 matches in the competition, but Allan has provided 1 assist and is the playmaker behind their build-up game.
The final Cerro Porteno vs Palmeiras prediction is that Palmeiras to win at 1.99 is an obvious choice for the main bet here, but both teams to score at 2.01 looks good, too, while 2.33 about over 2.5 goals is also tempting. Both sides have scored just 1 goal each in their respective home and away games in this group, so a similar scenario is anticipated with goals at both ends and plenty of action.
