Deportivo Cali vs Sportivo Luqueno Predictions, Betting Tips and Match Previews

Deportivo Cali make their return to continental competition for the first time since 2014. For a club of their size, that is quite a long absence and they will be hoping to make up for lost time with a good showing this year. In their last participation, they were eliminated in the second round by Uruguayan side Penarol, after having earlier knocked out UTC Cajamarca. Los Verdiblancos have qualified off the back of a decent domestic showing last year, in which they came 7th in the Apertura phase and 2nd in the Clausura phase.

Supporters are growing frustrated with the inconsistent performances shown in the opening few games of this year’s campaign. They have won three, drawn once, and lost twice.  The last two results have particularly irked fans, with their team only taking 1 point from away trips to Tigres and Patriotas Boyacá. The worst of those two results came at the weekend, with Patriotas running out 3-2 winners.

If Depor fans are frustrated, one can only imagine how fans of Sportivo Luqueno are feeling. They ended last season’s Clausura with 3-0 and 4-1 defeats and have carried on in the same vein this year, taking 1 point from a possible 9. That statistic is made even worse when you consider that two of the games have came against newly promoted opposition. Poor results and even worse performances have prompted leaders of the club to remove Héctor Marecos from his position as manager. In his place for this tie comes caretaker boss Héctor Javier Schönhauser.

Luqueno must be sick of the sight of Colombian opposition.  They were knocked out last season in the second round by Independiente Medellin, having lost 3-0 in the away leg. In 2015 their fantastic run to the semi final was halted by eventual winners Independite Santa Fe.  Kure-Luque have been granted another stab at Colombian enemy after taking up the final qualification spot from last seasons overall domestic table, coming 8th out of 12 teams.

Deportivo’s problems are nothing in comparison to that of the Paraguayan’s. The hosts may have been struggling on the road but they have been excellent on home territory, winning 15 of the last 19. Eight of those wins have came without conceding a goal, including 4 of the last 5.

They will be eager to appease the growing discontent of the supporters and should make light work of a side who really have been looking dreadful. Sportivo are drained of confidence and that is not a good sign for a side visiting a hostile Cali home crowd. The caretaker boss is likely to shut up shop and hope to remain in the game ahead of the second leg, where they will have a far greater chance of hurting Deportivo. We really don’t see Sportivo posing much of an attacking threat and think that this one will be a comfortable home win to nil.