Stadium: General Santander

Referee: Saúl Laverni (Argentina) - No draw in the two matches he have direct, one victory home and one victory away.

Cucúta Deportivo (Colombia)

For the group they where position on they make a fine display, the team just lost one match, one away to Cerro Porteño. The team open with a draw against Colombia team Deportes Tolima, then went and draw in Brasil against Gremio. The team continue their unbeaten streak as they went to play against Cerro Porteño, and take another draw. Then came the defeat to Cerro that puts the team in a hard situation. Pshed to perform better, the team won to Gremio 3-1 in home to mantain with posibilities. In the last match won their qualification with a late goal in a high scoring match where it was confirm the good moment of the team, which has get better with time.

Cucúta on home is strong and just concede one goal in three matches on home, but the team didn't lost any match, at the most allowing two draws to Tolima and Cerro Porteño. The team delivers four matches with under 2.5 goals, and just two matches over 2.5 goals, last match was determinant to apart the team from being tie with Gremio as best defense of Group 3.

The team played yesterday against Independiente Medellín on home, still as the team is focuses on this match of Libertadores Cup, played with a alternative lineup and lost 0-1, breaking 302 days unbeaten on home. As the team continues to participate on the local tournament, the fatigue of disputing two tournaments together with lack of enought rest will affect the team. Play today, then three days after play again, and two days later play against Toluca on home.

Toluca (Mexico)

The team make a fair participation on Libertadores Cup, as they open with one away victory playing with an alternative squad. Still hapiness was quickly over as Bolivar take 1-2 victory in next game. The situation was seems hard as both matches against Boca where ahead. The first one Toluca was able to win and get three pointers, morale boost and was expected a fine display on Argentina, where the team was clearly overrun and lost 3-0. The team was put in a tight position and need victory to mantain with chances, and went to Bolivar stadium and won, then closed on home with victory against Cienciano to take the group lead. Last two matches the team have showed strong defense as they get two clean sheets, also scoring power as at least scored twice in each match.

On away take two victories, and just lost against powerfoul Boca Juniors, the team in away is more focus on defending than anything else, still doesn't forget to attack. The team have many middlefielders with great quality that can decide a match in a second.

Last local league match, the team won 1-0 to Monterrey, Toluca was already eliminated from mexican league playoffs, but with this result closed the slim chance that Monterrey had to achieve playoffs. In last three matches the team is showing that they have overpass the bad streak that apart them from being in playoffs, and have return to the strong squad with tought defending, collecting three matches with under 2.5 scorelines and last two clean sheets.

Finishing in the first place of the group and having the third best offensive, the team reinforce on the attack, more because of the lack of power that they showed in the local tournament, one of the keys for which the team didn't get to playoffs.

MF/FW Vicente Sanchez is the team symbol and is playing at a higher level, being the one pushing the offensive and in charge of making goals as FW aren't doing their job, their best arrivals to the area are like second forward.

Reinforcements:

FW Francisco Palencia - Always fighthing player and had previous experience on Libertadores Cup.

FW Ignacio Scocco - Good striker sometimes exceed on the individual plays.

Match:

Tight match, Cucúta on home is difficult to beat and will like to control the ball, Toluca on their side could be pleased with this if are capable of managing to counterattack and build some attacking plays, with their reinforcements is expected a more offensive team.

Prediction:

The odds points to a tight match with slightly favoring Cúcuta, this match is interesting a good home team against a fair away team. For match winner is hard to tell both teams seems to be on good moments, still Toluca doesn't seem to be as they where eliminated from mexico local tournament, but the truth is they make a good closure of tournament and I expect them to continue with this good display. So I will go with Toluca 0AH as in away the team is hard to beat in last matches and is seeing stronger, and more with FW Palencia that will fight every ball he can.

Pick : Toluca
Odds : 2.05
Stake : 8 / 10
Bookmaker : Bet365
Date : 2007-05-03
Match Result :
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