- Neither team is unbeaten in five matches ahead of Wednesday’s Group D Copa Sudamericana contest.
- Santos are a more high-pressing, fast-paced team with a talisman in Neymar Jr, while Cuenca play more disciplined, structure-first soccer, looking to build up by phases.
Expect goals, but not many in Copa Sudamericana Group D opener
There has never been a more appropriate time for Deportivo Cuenca to face Santos FC Sao Paulo in the Copa Sudamericana Group D. This Deportivo Cuenca vs Santos FC Sao Paulo preview highlights the importance of the tactical battle between these two sides.
However, Deportivo Cuenca do not play their best football when chasing the game and have been very solid at home recently, so a home victory would be the best value in the result markets according to our Deportivo Cuenca vs Santos FC Sao Paulo prediction.
Jorge Célico’s team play a very pragmatic, compact style of soccer, not dissimilar to their counterparts in Uruguay, who play a similar kind of structure-first football.
Cuenca, however, are a bit more disciplined and structured than most of the Uruguayans and will line up with a low block when out of possession, looking to absorb pressure and hit opponents with the ball on the counter attack.
Santos are a much faster, more pressing team, led by the legendary Alexi ‘Cuca’ Stival, whose reputation for playing attractive attacking soccer and a flexible system, masks the issues he has had with the discipline of his squad.
The visitors will look to press high up the pitch and force Cuenca into errors, before breaking quickly through the wings, where their pace will be a danger. Neymar Jr. is still the talisman, but has recently hit the headlines more for his discipline and fitness management than his goals and assists.
Cuenca have a collective attacking threat, with Nicolás Leguizamón, Lucas Mancinelli, Melvin Díaz and Ignacio Mosquera all getting on the scoresheet in recent matches.
But with Gabigol and Thaciano also up front, Santos will provide multiple threats to Cuenca’s defense and should at least find the net, so we can expect goals at both ends, but with points in the group stage being precious, neither side will want to expose themselves too much, making Under 2.5 and Both Teams to Score - Yes standouts in the markets.
Our Deportivo Cuenca vs Santos FC Sao Paulo betting tips also note that odds for a Deportivo Cuenca win are attractive at 2.75, while the Under 2.5 odds of 1.48 and Both Teams to Score - Yes odds of 2.1 should give enough value to the overall accumulator for a Wednesday night wager on this contest.
The two teams have contrasting styles, which should make for a tense tactical battle, with the high altitude of Cuenca likely to blunt Santos’ usual tempo, but we feel that the hosts will just have the edge in terms of home advantage and organisation to eke out a win, as highlighted in the Deportivo Cuenca vs Santos FC Sao Paulo prediction. This Deportivo Cuenca vs Santos FC Sao Paulo prediction reflects the careful analysis of both tactical setups and recent form.
