Gremio vs Universidad Catolica Predictions

Wednesday’s Copa Libertadores group stage action sees Brazilians Gremio doing battle with Chileans Universidad Catolica. An open game is expected to be in order, with a place in the last 16 on the line.

It’s fair to say that, having won the competition back in 2017 and reaching the semi-finals last year, Gremio would have expected to book their place in the last 16 far more smoothly but they still come into this game with work to do. Indeed, Tricolor haven’t been the most convincing in collecting just 7 points from 5 games but know that all they have to do in order to advance is  to avoid defeat in this match.

With a better goal difference than their visitors, a point would be enough for the hosts but aiming for it would be a risky strategy and there’s no doubting that they’ll instead be targeting a win on home soil. Having taken 1 point from their opening 3 Serie A matches, Gremio aren’t in great form but confidence can be boosted by the fact that they’ve won 7 of their last 9 Libertadores home games.

Meanwhile, after winning 2 of their opening 3 games, Universidad Catolica had looked in a great position but just one point since then now leaves them in a very difficult place. If the Chileans can manage to win, they’ll be assured of their place in the last 16 but that’s easier said than done against what still remains a very powerful Gremio outfit.

There can be no debating that Catolica are now huge underdogs as regards finishing in the top two and that’s something more than affirmed when looking at their Libertadores away record. The Chileans have not won any of their last 9 games on the road in the competition, a simply dreadful run that also contains 6 defeats and goes all the way back to 2011.

Ultimately, this should be a very exciting game given what’s at stake. Universidad Catolica have no choice but to attack given the position they are in, whereas Gremio are never the kind of team to try and sit back and they’ll also be gunning for 3 points in front of the home crowd.

All things considered, backing both teams to score looks the best way to play as far as the betting is concerned and is exactly where our money is going. Both teams have scored in Gremio’s last 3 games, including a 5-4 defeat to Fluminense at the weekend, whereas both nets have been hit in 5 of Catolica’s last 7 outings, as well as in 8 of their last 9 Libertadores away games. All of said sequences look like continuing and we also believe Gremio will get the job done comfortably, via a 3-1 margin of victory.