Independiente del Valle vs Olimpia Asuncion Predictions, Betting Tips and Match Previews

All eyes are on Independiente del Valle this season, which could come as a surprise to some, considering they are a tiny club who were down in the Ecuadorian third division up until about ten years ago. However, there is good reason for this attention.

Last season the hosts scrambled through to the group stages of the Copa Libertadores before shockingly knocking out both River Plate and Boca Juniors to reach an historic final. They lost 2-1 to Atletico Nacional in the end, but it was a famous cup run for a club so tiny.

Since then they have sold nine of the eleven players that started that final and have ended up with a new manager, but despite this they still managed some more heroics as they trailed Deportivo Municipal on away goals only to be saved by a stoppage time equaliser from Gabriel Cortez.

In all competitions they have now won six, drawn three, and lost two of their last 11 outings, a record which secured them a 4th place finish in the Ecuadorian Primera A and got them to the Copa Libertadores qualifiers.

Olimpia triumphed in the Paraguayan top flight again last season as they beat Libertad to the trophy by seven points, and they are now coached by Pablo Repetto, who was the mastermind of Independiente del Valle’s Copa Libertadores run last season.

The visitors ended last season strongly with eight wins from their last 12 matches, and last season they made it to the Copa Libertadores group stages before being knocked out as third place finishers.

Away from home they aren’t the best in this continental competition though, failing to win any of their last seven trips away and losing five of them. They have managed to find the net in seven of their last ten away from home though, and they are facing an Independiente del Valle side who have conceded in six of their last eight at home in the competition.

This makes the fairly long odds of 6/5 for Both Teams to Score look a good value backing, so I’m going for that on Thursday alongside a 2-1 win for the hosts at 15/2 for my correct score predictions.