Universidad Catolica vs Flamengo Predictions, Betting Tips and Match Previews

Universidad Catolica picked up a heroic point in last week’s group stage opener in Brazil. 2-0 down with 5 minutes to go against Atletico Paranaense, they managed to pull the game back to 2-2. That was a strong start for them in a match they were expected to lose,  and they will be hoping to put in another good showing on home territory here.

The result seems to have boosted confidence in the Catolica camp. Prior to the game,  they had lost 4 on the bounce and had just won one of their opening 5 league games as a result. The loss of last year’s key striker Nicolas Castillo looked to be being felt hard, but his replacement, Santiago Silva put in a good shift over the weekend along with the team, scoring 2 goals in a 4-1 win over Antofagasta.

Flamengo couldn’t have asked for a better start to the groups, battering San Lorenzo 4-0 in the Maracana. It could have been an even bigger win, but for a Paolo Guerrero missed penalty. They played with real confidence and were worthy winners. Mengão look keen to make up for lost time, having missed out on Libertadores football for the last 2 years.

The side are in fantastic form, and now possess a 19 game unbeaten streak. They’ve won 12 of those games,  with 10 of the wins coming in 2017.  Confidence is high and Flamengo are banging goals in for fun at the moment, scoring 12 goals in the their last 3 games. Over the weekend a rotated side put 5 past Portuguesa in a 5-1 win, with Leandro Damião picking up a hat-trick.

The match should be a cracking one.  5 of Catolica’s 7 competitive games in 2017 have featured more than 2 goals, as well as 5 out of their last 6 in the Libertadores, Meanwhile Flamengo’s last three games have seen 13 goals, an average of 4.33 a game. Their Libertadores past is even more suggestive of goals, with 10 of their last 11 clearing the over 2.5 line.

The over 2.5 line looks a steal at just over double your money and simply has to be backed. Both sides will be hungry to build on strong starts to the competition, and the match is sure to be jam packed with goal scoring opportunities. As for the result, it will be a close game but we see Flamengo as the more likely winners. They’ve been in top form for a numbers of months and it’s perhaps a bit too soon to expect a Catolica side looking to regain confidence to take anything here.