Stadium: Azteca

Referee: Antonio Arias (Paraguay) - No home victories when he directs, one draw and three away victories.

Club America (Mexico)

In Libertadores Cup the team have a very irregular display, still close with two consecutive victories his participation in group stage, which help the team get the first place in the table of the second places. In home won twice and lost once. The same in away won twice and lost one. It is to remark that against Banfield came one defeat and the other came against Libertad on home.

The gameplay of America is effective still not espectacular, the team have a lot of potential in their individualities, together with a solid defense leaded by GK Guillermo Ochoa take the short victories. As America obtain three of their four victories by one goal margin, last two of them in identical scores 2-1. FW Salvador Cabañas is the leader scorer of the Cup with 9 goals, just another sign of their dependance to individualities.

Still the defense leave a lot to wished in two matches where they allowed seven goals. Allowed at least a goal in every match except one, just twice allowed two goals or more.

Getting the advantage in the score is a signal for the team to laid back and wait for counterattack to increase their lead. Sometimes falling in low pace game that doesn't help for the spectacle.

Last local league match, the team fell 2-1 to Morelia. Match that America lost more because of bad luck, first goal against came in a free kick that was detour by a defense of America that was pushed by Morelia attacker. But the referee doesn't signal that obstruction. Second goal against was a high ball that America GK Guillermo Ochoa make a wrong exit, and morelia attacker was able to head it to unguarded net. Altought as also Chivas Guadalajara and Cruz Azul lost none of them move of the overall table place.

America has this week off, as reclasification matches are being dispute and until midweek of next week will began their activity on mexican playoffs. It was a good sign for the team that the second leg will be played on next tuesday, this will give the team time to go back to Mexico to participate in playoffs with their best team availble.

The team is reinforce with Monterrey MF Luis Perez and DF Felipe Baloy. The defense is understand as the team needs to be more solid on the backzone and for sure will be on the starting lineup, big defense player with solid presence. And with MF Luis Perez the team will gain a good long distance shoot but overthat a player that can distribute more the ball movement and help the team to accomplish that play as a team and not depended on the individualities.

Colo Colo (Chile)

The team performance is far of what is used to be if judge by the numbers they obtain that make them be the worst first place and this send the team to the last place of the first places table. The team open with two consecutive defeats, but as they revert their step and collect three consecutive victories two of them in home. And altought haveing the chance to add points in the last match where their qualification was secured, the team many injuries for that match produce a bad performance of the team that fall to a River Plate with substitutes, altought winning the match, River Plate fall to the last place of the group as in goal average was overpass by LDU.

The team has been irregular and their worst feature is the defense as they allowed goal in four of their five matches, their worst display was on the two first , where allowed five goals, after that take two clean sheets and on the other two allowed just a goal per match. The team has improve and is expected to put a fierce stand. Because altought numbers doesn't provide here a trend the true is that Colo Colo have improve and if lost last match in the group stage was that anything was at stake and their many injuries.

In local tournament the team draw 0-0 to U. de Chile, with this result the team consolidates in the first positión with five points of advantage to second place U. Catolica. The team has barely allowed 9 goals in 14 matches to provide solid defensive. Also in the positive is that the team didn't showed the fatigue that normally appears when a team is focused in two tournaments.

Injured:

DF David Henríquez (Captain)

Match:

A big crowd is expect as America set a economical price for all the stands trying to get the same big crowd as against El Nacional. Colo Colo will put a fierce stand but on home America is hard to beat and if get early advantage will sit back to counterattack and if possible kill the match on this first leg as coming back will face playoffs.

Prediction:

Overall in home America is solid and rarely concede a defeat here. Colo Colo showed a irregular step in away as in home, the team still close hard despite their last defeat. America doesn't play spectacular but is effective. So I expect a tight match with at the most 1 goal difference between them. So slim home victory.

Pick : Club America
Odds : 1.82
Stake : 8 / 10
Bookmaker : Bet365
Date : 2007-05-02
Match Result :
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