Boston River vs Comerciantes Unidos Predictions, Betting Tips and Match Previews

This game crowns a heroic period in Boston River’s history. They aren’t, and never have been a big club. The club totally stopped all activities between 1981 and 1999 and amazingly only played their first top flight match last season. That season went far better than anyone could have imagined, Boston finished 6th, with a record of 5-7-3, allowing them to take up the final Sudamericana qualification spot. Rather sadly, their 7000 capacity Estadio José Nasazzi is too small to host this tie, so the match will instead be held at Nacional’s Estadio Gran Parque Central.

Boston come into the tie in mixed form. They sit in 9th place out of 16 in the Apertura phase of the league, having won 1, drawn 2, and lost 1. The loss came on Saturday, on home territory to Racing. With a thin squad most of the players who started that game will also start tonight. While confidence may be slightly damaged, they were very unfortunate to lose, having dominated the match and notching 19 shots, of which 9 were kept out by the visiting goalkeeper.

It’s quite fitting that Boston’s opponents here are Comerciantes Unidos. Their path to the Sudamericana has taken an almost identical path. Founded just 15 years ago, Las Aguilas also only contested their first top flight campaign in the year just gone. Like Boston, it was one to remember, as they finished 6th in the overall table, enough to secure qualification.

Comerciantes have made a poor start in league action, despite eight new signings. Three losses and one draw prompted the club to relieve Jorge Aravena of his managerial duties. Their sole win in the new campaign came at the weekend, as caretaker boss, Agapito Rodríguez, helped steer the side to a narrow 1-0 away win at Deportivo Muncipal. Rodriguez will also be in charge here and will be looking for a similar show on the road.

We can’t see this one being a particularly enthralling encounter. Both sides will have nerves coming into their first ever appearance on the continental stage.  In Boston’s 4 opening league games there has been just a measly 3 goals, an average of 0.75 a game. Meanwhile, 4 of Comerciantes 5 opening leagues games have ended with less than three goals.

The visitors will set up in a defensive manner, hoping to remain in the tie prior to the 2nd leg on home soil. The onus is on the hosts but they are hardly brimming with goals, having scored just two goals in the last four. Comericantes will be delighted if they can secure a draw, but probably would accept a narrow defeat, given how dominant they were at home last season. The bookies have priced Boston as comfortable favourites for the match, and we do think they will have just enough to make a breakthrough at some point, but will struggle to win the game by a large margin on current form, against a side that will sit back throughout the game. We just can’t envisage goals here and that is why we are backing the under 2.5 line.