Thursday Betting Tips: Go for cards in Copa clash

Atletico GO v Sao Paulo
Thursday 1 September (Fri, 0130 BST)

There's lots to like about the potential for cards in Thursday night's Copa Sudamericana semi-final.

These are two Brazilian teams, both of whom are well down the fair-play table in their domestic league with Sao Paulo the standouts - just one team has received more yellow cards than them.

They've both been picking plenty up in this competition too - it's 29 cards in total in 10 games for Atletico and 26 for their visitors.

Such figures immediately suggest some good value could be on offer about over 5.5 cards in this contest, something which is available as a 6/4 chance.

But there's more evidence to suggest it will happen.

Over 5.5 cards has landed in two of their last three meetings, with this season's Serie A clash in July seeing no fewer than 12, including seven for Sao Paulo.

And there's also a high-carding referee on show.

Jesus Valenzuela has taken charge of nine games in CONMEBOL's continental competitions this season (this is the secondary one to the Copa Libertadores) and shown 54 yellow cards and two reds.

That's an average above six per game, while over 5.5 has been hit in seven of the nine.

As an added bonus, Valenzuela arrives here off the back of producing 11 yellows and three reds in his most recent game in his native Venezuela.

Over 5.5 in this game looks a great single but with this being a Bet Builder column, we need to find another leg.

Under 2.5 goals looks the obvious call, albeit the layers are giving little away.

None of the first legs in the quarter-finals saw more than one goal, never mind two, and this looks likely to be pretty tight - with both sides struggling domestically, this competition could save their season.

The double pays just under 11/4.

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