Sporting Cristal vs The Strongest Prediction: The Strongest Recovering from the Set Back Against Fluminense

In the upcoming fixture of Copa Libertadores, Matchday 3, Sporting Cristal will be up against The Strongest at the Estadio Nacional del Perú in Lima District. With a win and three points, The Strongest stands 2nd in the points table, whereas Sporting Cristal stands 4th with two consecutive defeats and a -4 goal difference. Sporting Cristal and The Strongest last played against each other in 2017, and the Strongest won (5-1) playing at home. Continue reading to find out more about the upcoming matchup.

Going in the matchup, Sporting Cristal is struggling to maintain consistency across all competitions. In the last outing against Universidad Cesar Vallejo, Sporting secured a draw (1-1), in which Ignacio scored the all-important equalizer in the 66th minute with an assist made by Alejandro Hohberg. With 2 defeats and 3 draws in the last five matches played, Sporting Cristal will be hoping for a turnaround in the upcoming matchup. In the last match against River Plate, Sporting did manage to secure equalizers and start the second half with a balanced scoreline. However, they couldn’t combat the aggressive play and lost the match (4-2) at the end of the second half. With the likes of Washing Corozo, Jostin Alarcon, and Jesus Castillo in the lineup, Sporting will fancy its chances for winning at home. When playing at home, Sporting Cristal ahs managed two draws and a defeat in the last three played. Moreover, it has conceded at least a goal in its last five matches. 

Renato Solís; Jhilmar Lora, Gianfranco Chávez, Ignácio Da Silva, Nilson Loyola; Jesus Castillo, Martin Tavara, Jostin Alarcon; Joao Grimaldo, Alejandro Hohberg, Brenner Marlos.

Going in the matchup, The Strongest is coming off a win against Blooming (1-3), in which Eugenio Isnaldo, Michael Ortega, and Enrique Triverio scored goals. With three wins in the last five matches played across all competitions, The Strongest is likely to expand its winning run. Though the Bolivian giants lost to Fluminense in the last outing of Libertadores, the upcoming matchup could be a lifter for them. Considering the poor match form of Sporting Cristal, we might observe a change in tactics for The Strongest. With the likes of Robles, Torres, Isnaldo, and Ortega in the lineup, the visitors are likely to produce at least 2 or more goals comfortably. Talking about the scoring, The Strongest has scored eight goals in the last five, averaging 1.60 goals per game. Against the scoring average, it has conceded just three goals, averaging 0.60 goals per game. 

Guillermo Viscarra; Jaime Arrascaita, José María Carrasco, Adrián Jusino, Carlos Roca; Alvaro Quiroga, Carlos Robles, Jose Flores, Eugenio Isnaldo; Enrique Triverio, Junior Arias.

Moving forward in the contest, The Strongest is likely to dominate the home side and emerge as victorious in the Lima District of Peru. In the last couple of matches played at home, Peru Sporting Cristal hasn’t reflected the best of match forms, which is why, The Strongest is likely to dominate and win. Moreover, Sporting Cristal averaged 1.00 goals per game in the last five played, whereas The Strongest averages 1.60 goals per game. Hence, both sides are likely to score, and the match total to be over 2.5 goals. 

• The Strongest to Win for 4.75
• Anytime Goalscorer - Michael Ortega for 5.75
• Both Teams to Score - Yes for 1.97