The Strongest vs Ceara – The opening leg of the Copa Sudamericana round-of-16 match between The Strongest and Ceara will take place in Bolivia on Wednesday.
The visitors finished first in their Copa Libertadores group, while their hosts finished third, relegating them to the continent’s secondary tournament.
The Strongest qualified for this year’s Copa Libertadores qualifying round after placing third in their domestic top league last season. They advanced to the group round after two-legged wins over Plaza Colonia and Universidad Catolica.
The Bolivian team’s chances of progressing to the knockout stage were dealt a serious setback when they were held to a 5-0 defeat by Athletico Paranaense in their first three games.
The Tigre’s final two matches yielded just one point each, allowing Caracas to snatch third place and the Copa Sudamericana slot from them on goal difference.
This season, The Strongest will be aiming to bounce back from a 3-0 loss to Boliviar in the final of their domestic league Apertura phase and take a lead in their round-of-16 tie with home advantage.
The Strongest vs Ceara – Betting Analysis
As the only team to reach the quarterfinals with a spotless record in this competition’s group stage, Ceara will be aiming to expand on their impressive showing.
They started their group stage campaign by beating Independiente, Deportivo La Guaira and General Caballero JLM, all while only conceding once. After a series of victories and clean sheets in the reversals, they qualified for the knockout stage, with manager Dorival Junior stepping down earlier this month.
Life under the new manager hasn’t started off to the greatest of starts, with three draws in the Brazilian top division and a 2-0 loss to Fortaleza in the first leg of their Copa do Brasil round-of-16 encounter.
Ceara, who are presently only two points clear of the relegation zone in their domestic league, will be hoping for their first win under Santos in order to improve their prospects of reaching the Copa Sudamericana quarterfinals.
The Strongest vs Ceara – Head -to -Head
Our Prediction: Home Win
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