Independiente Santa Fe vs Deportivo Cali Predictions

Wednesday’s Copa Sudamericana quarter-final, first leg action features an all-Colombian clash between Santa Fe and Deportivo Cali. A tight game is expected to be in order with so much at stake.

With just 1 win from the last 9 matches, hosts Santa Fe do not arrive with much momentum behind them and pressure will surely start to mount on the team should they fail to secure a positive result in Wednesday’s match. Currently out of the play-off spots on the domestic table and unlikely to break into them, the Sudamericana is undoubtedly Los Cardenales’ main focus now, making this fixture a huge occasion.

Santa Fe saw off arch rivals Millonarios in the last round on penalties, after two mind-numbing 0-0 draws that only served to enhance their reputation as one of the most boring teams to watch for regular viewers of South American football. Having also defeated Rampla Juniors to reach this point, Guillermo Sanguinetti’s troops have put together a decent enough continental run, but there can be little doubting they need to improve massively on what they’ve been producing in recent weeks if they want to avoid elimination.

Meanwhile, with just 2 wins from the last 6 to their name and also outside of the domestic play-off spots, Deportivo Cali hardly arrive in sparkling condition themselves and just like Santa Fe, the Sudamericana is now the main priority for the visitors, with focus having been on this trip for quite some time.

Wins over Uruguayans Danubio, Bolivians Bolivar and Ecuadorians LDU Quito have Deportivo Cali at this advanced stage of the competition, but the fact they’ve lost 2 of the 3 away leg in those ties does have to be a concern coming into this one, with significant improvement needed.

Ultimately, given the campaigns they are enduring, it’s quite surprising that one of these two will find themselves into the semi-finals but that’s what is on the line and both will be desperate to make sure it is they that are advancing.

With so much at stake and neither team renowned for playing particularly attacking football, a very tight game is expected to be in order, and backing the draw looks the only way to play. Santa Fe have drawn half of their last 8 home matches, as well as 4 of their last 5 Sudamericana matches and with Deportivo Cali having drawn 2 of their last 4 away matches 0-0, it’s not difficult to envisage a goalless 90 minutes and that’s something we’re also happy to have a play on.