Sporting Cristal vs Fluminense Prediction: Can the Peruvian Side Dictate Terms at Home?

In the upcoming fixture of the Copa Libertadores, Group D, Matchday 1, Sporting Cristal will take on Fluminense at the Estadio Nacional in Lima District. Sporting Cristal and Fluminense are sharing Group D with River Plate from Argentina and The Strongest from Bolivia. Fluminense and Sporting Cristal haven’t met before in any competition, which is why the upcoming continental fixture is likely to get more intense and competitive. 

Going in the matchup, Sporting Cristal is coming off a draw against Deportivo Municipal (1-1), in which Leandro Sosa scored the opening goal in the 12th minute of play. With a 4-3-3 formation, Sporting Cristal will depend on the likes of Ignacio, Chavez, and Leonardo Diaz. In the last five matches played, Sporting Cristal has won three and drawn two matches. With 10 goals scored in the last 5 matches played, averaging 2.00 goals per game. Sporting Cristal will be confident of winning at home, as it has performed well in the Peruvian Primera Division. Against the scoring average, Sporting Cristal has conceded 6 goals, averaging 1.2 goals. 

Renato Solis; Jhilmar Lora, Ignacio Da Silva, Gianfranco Chavez, Nilson Loyola; Jesus Castillo, Jesus Pretell, Leandro Sosa; Alejandro Hohberg, Brenner, Joao Grimaldo.

Going in the contest of Libertadores, Fluminense is coming off a defeat against Flamengo (2-0) in the Carioca Serie A. Fluminense has done quite well considering the Carioca Serie A performances; however, the continental stage is completely different. Much depending on German Cano, Fluminense will be looking to expedite and start the tournament with a win. With three wins and two defeats in the last five matches, Fluminense will be looking to recover from the Carioca Serie A defeat in final leg 1. Talking about goal scoring, Fluminense has scored 15 goals, averaging 3.00 goals in the last 5 matches. However, the major portion of the goals came against Volta Redonda in the semi-final phase. 

Fábio; Samuel Xavier, David Braz, Nino, Alexsander Gomes Da Costa; André, Martinelli; John Arias, Goose; Keno, German Cano.

Sporting Cristal has been leading the points table standings of the Peruvian league, standing 2nd with 16 points. Considering its impeccable gameplay in Peru, the upcoming matchup is likely to end in the home side’s favor. As Fluminense has scored positively in 4 of its last 5 matches, the upcoming matchup is likely to result in both teams scoring. I will be backing Sporting Cristal to win and the final scoreline to be 2-1.

• Sporting Cristal to Win for 4.50
• Total Over 2.5 for 1.95
• Both Teams To Score - Yes for 1.83