River Plate vs Sporting Cristal Prediction: A Vibrant Duel Between River Plate and Sporting Cristal Loading

In the upcoming fixture of the Copa Libertadores, Matchday 2, River Plate will be up against Sporting Cristal at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. Going into the contest, both River Plate and Sporting Cristal will be looking to improve and kickstart their Libertadores campaign. The matchup will be the first official meeting between the two teams, which makes the day even more special. With River Plate hosting the Peruvian side in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the visitors are likely to find it difficult to play their natural game. Continue reading to find out more about the upcoming contest.

River Plate - Has Won Four of the Last Five Matches Played (WWWLW)

Going into the matchup, River Plate is carrying a fantastic match form, excluding the defeat against The Strongest (3-1) in Bolivia. With 10 wins in 12 matches played so far in the Argentine Primera Division, River Plate has stood out. Considering the current form of River Plate in the Primera Division, we can expect them to win the upcoming Libertadores fixture at home. The defeat against the Bolivian side, The Strongest, ended River Plate’s unbeaten streak of 9 matches. When playing at home, River Plate has scored 14 goals and conceded 3 in the last 5 home matches. Hence, it’s quite evident that their scoring average is better than their conceding average. With the presence of Lucas Beltran, Esequiel Barco, and Nacho Fernandez attacking the ball, the upcoming matchup is likely to see River Plate scoring at least 2 or more goals.

Expected Opening Lineup for River Plate

Franco Armani; Marcelo Herrera, Emanuel Mammana, Paulo Diaz, Enzo Diaz; Rodrigo Aliendro, Enzo Perez; José Paradela, Ignacio Fernández, Agustín Palavecino; Miguel Angel Borja.

Sporting Cristal - Coming off a Draw Against Sport Boys (DLDWW)

After recovering from the thrashing defeat against Fluminense (3-1) at home, Sporting Cristal is coming off a draw against Sport Boys (1-1), in which Brenner scored the equalizer on a penalty. If we take a glimpse of Sporting’s overall match form, the Peruvian side has struggled in the last couple of matches. In the last five matches played, Sporting Cristal has scored 7 goals, averaging 1.40 goals per game. Against the scoring average, Sporting Cristal has conceded a goal or more in its last five matches played. With the likes of Brenner, Alejandro Hohberg, and Leandro Sosa in the lineup, Sporting will be looking to score at least a goal or two from any of the three attackers.

Expected Opening Lineup for Sporting Cristal

Renato Solís; Jhilmar Lora, Gianfranco Chávez, Ignácio Da Silva, Nilson Loyola; Jesus Castillo; Jesus Pretell, Jostin Alarcon; Leandro Sosa, Joao Grimaldo, Brenner Marlos.

Expert Betting Tips:

Sporting Cristal hasn't been successful on Argentine soil since 2015. Hence, the pressure will be rightly accumulated on Sporting Cristal. Going into the contest, Sporting will also be missing out on Yoshimar Yotun, who was their main center of command in the midfield. Considering the powerhouse of River Plate at home, the upcoming matchup is likely to have River Plate winning. The total goals in the match are expected to be over 2.5, as in three of the last five matches, River Plate's match total was over 2.5.I am predicting Peruvian side to score as well, as Sporting has scored with an average of 1.40 goals in the last five matches played.

• Goals Over 2.5 for 1.50
• Both Teams To Score - Yes for 2.48
• Correct Score 3-1 for 10