Athletico Paranaese vs Deportes Tolima Predictions

Tuesday’s Copa Libertadores group stage action sees Brazilians Athletico PR doing battle with Colombians Deportes Tolima. The hosts arrive as clear favourites but an exciting game with action at both ends is expected to be in order.

Athletico PR came into the group hopeful of battling it out for a top two finish and are certainly on course for exactly that. The side started off on the wrong foot, losing 1-0 away at Tolima themselves but have things back on the right track following impressive home wins over Jorge Wilstermann and Boca Juniors respectively.

Indeed, last week’s 3-0 victory over last season’s Libertadores runners-up really set down a marker and illustrates just how powerful Atheltico are on home soil. They’ve now won an impressive 7 home matches in a row and having plunged home an average of 3.42 goals a game over said fixtures, means their prospects look very bright as regards winning again on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Tolima have work to do if they’re to make it into the last 16 and could really do with a result from this trip. The Colombians kicked things off well with a win over Atheltico PR but have since lost away at Boca and threw a 2-0 lead away at home to draw to Wilstermann, leaving them in a less than favourable position but still in the mix to advance.

Unbeaten in 5 matches and currently 3rd in the Colombian top flight, the visitors won’t arrive short on confidence and undoubtedly have players that can damage their opponents. Nonetheless, having won just 1 of their last 5 Libertadores away games, the visitors can be under no illusions as regards the size of the task at hand and they arrive on Brazilian soil as considerable underdogs.

Overall, whilst it’s obvious Atheltico PR are likely to win the match, we’re at least expecting an open, exciting game that Tolima can certainly contribute towards. Both teams are attack minded and strong going forwards and that should create one of the better watches in the Libertadores this week.

All things considered, backing over 2.5 goals looks the way to play as far as the betting goes and at current odds, is exactly where our money is going. Atheltico could well cover that line themselves given the rate at which they’re currently scoring and with 4 of Tolima’s last 6 having seen 3 goals or more, it’d be a surprise if this was a low scoring affair, with a 3-1 margin of home victory on the cards.