Stadium: Manuel Murillo Toro

Referee:Óscar Julián Ruiz (Colombia)

Last Match: Cúcuta Deportivo 0-0 Deportes Tolima

Deportes Tolima (Colombia)

The team is with posibilities to get to next round, but needs the victory, as a draw could get them eliminated and a defeat for sure gets them eliminated. The team open with a draw precisely against Cúcuta. Then on home won to Cerro Porteño by 1-0 and repeat the same home display against Gremio. Lost twice in away to Gremio and Cerro Porteño by 1-0 scorelines which sends the team back to its reality.

The team is going trought crisis, that gets to witness a change of coach as Hernán Torres arrive to the team, this coach doesn't have direct experience in coaching, and less in Libertadores Cup. The team has in its hand the qualification and needs a victory in home, where they had collect 1-0 victories against the "strong" teams on the group. But their last matches doesn't gave a lot of hope.

In local tournament the team collects another defeat, this time on away 1-0 against Atletico Nacional what has the team in 12th position, with 14 points in 13 mathces, 13 points from first place Cucuta Deportivo. This match was played with an alternative squad as the main squad was reserve for the decisive match in Libertadores Cup.

If something can the team presume is their defense as the only teams that where capable of scoring where Cerro Porteño and Gremio in away, as in home they haven't allowed any goal, altough their scoring isn't impressive as only score twice both of them in their home matches.

Cúcuta Deportivo (Colombia)

The team has on it hands the qualification and just needs a victory to get to next stage, any other result will have them eliminated. The team open drawin against Deportes Tolima, then went to Brasil and take a great result as draw against Gremio. Return home and took another draw this time 1-1 against Cerro Porteño. Then came the first defeat as they allowed 2-1 score against Cerro Porteño on away. And when the things start to look hard, the team went and won 3-1 to Grémio on home to remain with chances in this irregular group.

For this match Cúcuta Deportivo coaches has advantage as having been on Deportes Tolima gave him a lot of knolwedge about Tolima which last season drove to be runners-up for the title.

Last local league match the team draw 3-3 against Independiente Santa Fe on away, the team play with reserves as national team callup have diminish the team.Result which helps them remain on first position, with 27 points out of 13 matches. The team have showed on local league a strong defense and the offensive power is the best of the league. The result the team collects more are victories. As in last five matches in local league, just one victory allowed, one draw and three victories.

The defeat came after a victory in home against Junior Barranquilla, victory that broke a streak of four consecutive defeats. Even if taken both Libertadores Cup matches in that span of time, the streak goes up to six consecutive matches without winning.

The team is showing solid defense as in all their Libertadores Cup matches, the most they have allowed are two goals in just one match against Cerro Porteño, and the most they have allowed out of that match is just one goal, the team has collect,two clean sheets.

Match:

One team comes in free fall in both tournaments, meanwhile the other Cúcuta has a great local league display and is having an importnat closure in Libertadores Cup. Both teams of same nation to define who will get to next stage. The home team have deliver a good display there, meanwhile the other came in good form. Both teams will field their main squad to look for victory, what could deliver a very open game. Is to consider in the group just two matches out of 10 have been over 2.5 goals.

Prediction:

Match of apreciation, with tempting odds in each way as the match could go to either side as statics point, but here the importance is the moment of the teams, Cúcuta right now seems more fit than Deportes tolima and as they are same nation teams this puts them into a more level match. So I found the good moment Cúcuta with arguments to take something, the only downsize is they need the victory and if an early goal doesn't fall then open spaces could be take handy by deportes Tolima, so I expect Cúcuta to take advantage of the bad moment of Tolima and their own good moment. So Cúcuta Deportivo 0 AH.

Pick : Cúcuta
Odds : 2.10
Stake : 9 / 10
Bookmaker : Bet365
Date : 2007-04-24
Match Result :
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