- Independiente Rivadavia top Copa Libertadores Group C on 13 points from 5 games, Club Bolivar are second on 5 points after 5 games.
- Independiente Rivadavia have the best away record in the group, W2, L0 (Wins 2, Losses 0).
Berti’s side have been bolting along
Thursday’s Copa Libertadores Group C matchup will be pivotal to the group result, Bolivar looking to turn their home altitude advantage into a victory against a team they recently lost to. Our Club Bolivar vs Independiente Rivadavia prediction is influenced by the fact that Independiente beat Bolivar 1-0 when the two sides met six weeks ago in this group.
Independiente are on a hot streak, winning two, drawing two and losing one in their last five games, they are the away side in this game and will want to make the most of their momentum after a dominant 4-2 away win over Deportivo La Guaira in their most recent Libertadores matchup.
Alfredo Berti’s men are an interesting case study of tactics, possessing the ability to play both 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 formations, with fluid movement between them to suit the game state. They are a direct, vertical attacking team, who press high up the pitch and look to get back into transition as quickly as possible.
Berti’s tactical set up has served them well in this group, but this Club Bolivar vs Independiente Rivadavia preview will be interesting to watch as they face off against a Bolivar side who will likely set up in a rigid 3-5-2 or 3-4-1-2, with a clear structure when in possession and selective pressing. Vladimir Soria is the current Bolivar boss, but Alejandro Restrepo has recently been named as the new boss, so he will likely look to set up in a more possession-oriented style.
Bolivar in a bit of a rut
The Club Bolivar vs Independiente Rivadavia prediction weighs heavily on recent form as Bolivar are on a poor run of form, going winless in their last 5 games across all competitions (D3, L2), and they come into this game off the back of consecutive defeats, including a 2-1 loss away to Fluminense RJ in the Copa Libertadores.
They are unbeaten at home in the group, however, with a W1, D1 record after two games, and they have scored 1.50 goals per home game in the group, but with an away side in good form coming to town, we feel that the momentum will be with the visitors on Thursday.
The main scoring threat for Bolivar is Robson Matheus, who has scored 2 of Bolivar’s 6 goals in their last 5 and 2 of their 6 Libertadores goals in the group. For Independiente Rivadavia, however, Alex Arce is on fire, netting 8 in the group stage and scoring 5 of his side's last 12 goals. Sebastian Villa has the flair to be the wildcard that can do damage in transition, so this Club Bolivar vs Independiente Rivadavia prediction favors an Independiente Rivadavia win and BTTS - Yes in this clash.
Independiente Rivadavia have scored 3.00 and conceded 1.50 goals per away game in the group so far, and we feel that Bolivar will get on the scoresheet as they look to maintain their place in the group, so one of the top Club Bolivar vs Independiente Rivadavia betting tips is to back Over 2.5 goals in this encounter.
