Boca Juniors vs Palmeiras Predictions

Thursday’s Copa Libertadores semi-final, first leg action sees Boca Juniors and Palmeiras going blow for blow. The visitors arrive confident of securing a good result to take home with them.

That’s partly because Boca don’t arrive in the best of shape and have huge pressure riding on them in the match. Fans of the club are not content with ‘just’ being domestic champions two times in a row, and it’s apparent that lifting the Libertadores for the first time since 2007 is the main priority for El Xeneize.

Having won just 1 of their last 6 matches, including an embarrasing 2-0 defeat to arch rivals River Plate on home soil, boss Guillermo Barros Schelotto finds himself under big pressure. Despite having one of the strongest squads on the entire continent, with some unbelievably talented players in their ranks, Boca have hardly played the most attractive of football under him and if the result fails to come in this tie over two legs, his position is very likely to become unattainable considering his team are already 5 points off the pace in the domestic table and out of the Copa Argentina.

Meanwhile, if Schelotto is under pressure, Palmeiras boss Luiz Felipe Scolari is at the opposite end of the spectrum, having overseen a stunning revolution since returning to the club. With some excellent showings, Palmeiras have gone from looking well off the pace in Serie A to leading it with a 4 point margin for error as it draws towards the final straight.

Nonetheless, after a routine league win over the weekend, all focus is now on this trip and the quest for what would be a second Libertadores title, having lost won it back in 1999. Unbeaten in 9 matches, 7 of which wins, the visitors are in confident mood and certainly won’t be fazed by travelling to the Bombonera, having already won there earlier on this year in the group phase of the competition.

Ultimately, although Boca are never an easy side to travel to, particularly on continental nights, they are not playing very well at all at the moment and with Palmeiras in peak condition, you do have to fear for the hosts and the crowd is likely to turn quickly if they make a slow start to the game.

Palmeiras are on fire right now, having also won their last 5 matches whilst scoring an average of 2.2 goals a game and taking that into account alongside Boca’s poor form, a bet on the visitors on the Draw No Bet line looks to provide excellent value. It won’t be easy by any means, but Palmeiras are seeing off all manner of sides with staggering regularity in recent months and we think they’ll be able to edge ahead via a 1-0 margin of victory.