Fluminense vs Juventude: Will the Tricolor return to the Copa Sudamericana zone?

Thanks to the victory over Bahia, Fluminense has moved up from the relegation zone. If the Tricolor defeats Juventude, the team will reach the Copa Sudamericana zone and be much closer to getting into the Copa Libertadores.

At the end of August, Fluminense was eliminated from Copa Libertadores in the quarterfinals. It failed to beat Ecuadorian Barcelona on aggregate, although Brazil had a historic opportunity to have only its representatives in the semifinals of South America's most prestigious tournament. After the Copa do Brasil first match, Fluminense is close to relegation from this tournament, too. We don't doubt that the "tricolor" will do everything to keep their chances for a place in the Copa Libertadores zone in Série A. To do this, they need to beat Juventude this Friday.

Unlike Fluminense, Juventude is completely focused on Série A. After 17 matches in Brasileirão, this Brazilian elite newcomer is 14th, having 21 points. In general, it's a pretty good result, though the relegation zone and América Mineiro are only three points away. Juventude's away stats are 16th in the division, +1=3-3, 5-8 goal difference. Note that Juventude has quite low away numbers. 

• Fluminense: Hudson, Caio Paulista, Ganso (injuries), Gabriel Teixeira (suspended).
• Juventude: Yago, Elton. Nicolás Castillo are out. Wescley is questionable.

• Fluminense: Felipe – Xavier, Claro, Nino, Barcelos –Felipe, Martinelli, André – Lucca, Fred, Henrique.
• Juventude: Henrique – Mendes, Quintero, Forster – Matheus, Sorriso, Castillo, Jesus, Macedo – Bueno, Bóia.

At one time, Juventude was quite a comfortable opponent for Fluminense. However, these teams haven't played against each other since 2007, so it’s not reasonable to rely on these statistics when choosing a betting option. But it is reasonable to talk about the high motivation of Fluminense. The Rio team played in the Copa Libertadores for the first time in eight years. And in general, they played well. Of course, this club wants to take part in the most prestigious tournament next season, and Série A is their only chance. Here are the betting options for the Friday match: W1 for 1.86, W1+TU (2.5) for 3.00.