CD Junior FC vs Santa Fe Prediction & Betting Tips - Copa Libertadores

Prediction published on 21/04/2021, 08:14  by Daniel Ngulu | Modified on 21/04/2021 at 08:16 in Copa Libertadores Predictions

Atletico Junior landed in the same group with fellow Colombian side Independiente Santa Fe in the Copa Libertadores and will be hosting their first game in Group D of the competition on Friday. The two sides have already met in the Colombian league this season, the March game ending 1-1. Junior finished that game with 10 men as Gabriel Fuentes was sent off for the second time in three meetings between these teams. Junior finished third in their group in this competition last season and this time they’ll be targeting at least getting to the knockout stages. They successfully negotiated the preliminary rounds, winning three of their four matches and will be hoping to carry this form to the group stages. In the last five games, they have four clean sheets and just one loss, and they’ll feel confident about this game, being at home, where they are unbeaten in the last seven matches. Junior have one loss and seven wins in their last 11 home matches, and in the Copa Libertadores, they have two straight home wins.

Independiente, on the other hand, got to the group stages by virtue of finishing top in the Colombian league. They had two days lesser to rest as they are coming from a 2-1 away win over La Equidad. In the game, they had to stage a second half comeback to avoid a second straight defeat, but in reality, they’ve been a bit shaky lately. Of their last five matches, they were only comfortable in the 3-0 win over Alianza Petrolera, which is also their only clean sheet in that run. Earlier, they had to come from down to draw with Junior and Deportivo Pereira. This is going to be the first of back to back matches against Junior, as they meet again in the league two days later. Independiente are just returning to Copa Libertadores for the first time since 2018 and they’ll be hoping to cash in on their recent away form, which has seen them score in each of the last five.