- Penarol Montevideo have won three, drawn one and lost one of their last five in all competitions.
- Platense have failed to win their last two away games, drawing one and losing one.
- Penarol Montevideo are 1.89 favorites to win Friday’s game.
Penarol can overcome stubborn visitors
Second-placed Penarol Montevideo can use their Copa Libertadores experience to take advantage of bottom-placed Platense in a key matchup in Group E, when the two sides square off in the early hours of Friday morning. Our Penarol Montevideo vs Platense prediction backs the hosts to capitalize on their experience.
Tricolor have one point to show from their opening game in the group, but put in a resilient performance to draw 1-1 away to Independiente Santa Fe. Diego Aguirre’s side will be a familiar sight in the last 16 of the competition when the time comes, but they’ll be looking to take a bigger step towards qualification in this Penarol Montevideo vs Platense preview, highlighting a battle between seasoned contenders and newcomers at this stage.
Aguirre is a shrewd tactician with experience of playing with and against the underdog, so we can expect him to change his gameplan several times during the match to try to expose Platense’s weaknesses. His 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2 systems are both width-heavy and designed to push men forward at pace, which makes it hard for opponents to pin them down.
Aguirre’s pressing style will test Platense
They will test the visitors more than most teams with a pressing game that can stifle the best-laid plans of any opponent, so Platense will have to be patient and try to stay compact to stop the hosts from breaking through. For this clash, the Penarol Montevideo vs Platense prediction suggests that Aguirre's pressing style will be the key difference.
Walter Zunino’s side will not be as adventurous as the home team, preferring to block the central areas of the field and hit on the counter-attack when they can. It is a pragmatic approach that should have seen them avoid a home defeat to Corinthians Paulista in their opening Copa Libertadores group game, but a lack of cutting edge up front saw them lose 2-0.
The Patrones’ lack of a recent goal threat could be their undoing again. Platense are winless in their last five in all competitions, with two draws and three defeats, and the away team is likely to find this one tough as well.
Hosts hold the edge
Platense are not going to be as open as the visitors in their previous two matches. The hosts are just a little better, which should be enough for them to edge this close match, as confirmed by our latest Penarol Montevideo vs Platense betting tips.
Matias Arezo, who has scored one goal in one Copa Libertadores game, leads the line for Penarol and he’s scored three of his team’s nine goals in their last five games. The striker is in sharp form and good for at least one chance to score on Friday, given the pace of Aguirre’s system.
The odds on a home win are good enough to justify a bet on the Tricolor to edge a tight game with a goal or two at the most, but BTTS-NO looks a better choice because of the lack of goals in these sides’ recent matches and the likelihood that Platense will try to frustrate the home fans. Odds of 1.53 on the under also look about right for a tight matchup of space against compactness, with the Uruguayan side having the edge.
