Football Tips

Copa Libertadores Tips: El Nacional to send Potosi packing

  • Nathan Joyes
  • Published on
  • Updated on
  • 2:00 min read
Copa Libertadores
First leg: El Nacional thumped their Bolivian opponents 6-1

The Copa Libertadores qualfiers are well underway and Nathan Joyes analyses the second leg between Ecuador's El Nacional and Bolivian debutants Nacional Potosi.

  • El Nacional won 6-1 in Bolivia last week

  • Nacional Potosi's Libertadores debut to be short lived

  • Value to be had despite first leg result


Market looks wrong, again

Last week, Nacional Potosi opened up around the 2.01/1 mark to win their first ever Copa Libertadores match against Ecuador's El Nacional.

Despite a drift before kick off to around 2.1511/10, Potosi remained the favourites to take a lead into the second leg.

Yet the market got this considerably wrong, and El Nacional put six passed the debutants, who enjoyed 24 shots as well as seven corners - two of which the Ecuadorian club scored from.

Back on home soil, and with the tie wrapped up, El Nacional opened around 1.3030/100, before shortening to 1.251/4 to win the second leg inside 90 minutes.

If the starting XI is to be the same as the first leg, I'd expect the Ecuadorians to go off half the price they already are.

With the Ecuadorian team not having to worry about their domestic league, which doesn't start until 10 days after this fixture, I'm not anticipating a heavily rotated XI - especially in the first 45 minutes - something the market doesn't agree with me on.

Bolivians busy schedule

Of course, El Nacional will have one eye firmly on the next qualifying round, but this fixture presents an opportunity to build confidence and show why the Copa Ecuador champions can make it to the Libertadores group stage.

With the Bolivian Primera Division underway, Nacional Potosi has a domestic fixture just three days after - who's to say they won't be resting certain key players, either?

Even if both teams rest key players, the Ecuadorian club on home soil, in front of their fans, are far superior and will hopefully want to put on a show.

The club recently won Ecuador's second division, and this will be the first time they play in front of their fans as a Serie A club - another incentive to impress.

All in all, El Nacional -1 Handicap at 1.804/5 looks generous. They may rotate, they may pull out of 50:50 tackles, but they proved to be levels above Nacional Potosi in Bolivia, and another routine win looks possible.

El Nacional -1 Handicap vs Nacional Potosi - 1pt

1.80

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