Rosario Central vs Fortaleza prediction 14.08.2024 | Copa Sudamericana

• Competition: Copa Sudamericana, 1/8 Finals, 1st Leg
• Date: Wednesday, 14th August, 2024
• Kickoff: 23:00 UK
• Venue: Estadio Gigante de Arroyito (Rosario)

On the night between Wednesday and Thursday, Rosario Central from Argentina will face off against Brazilian Fortaleza in the first leg of Copa Sudamericana 1/8 Finals at Estadio Gigante de Arroyito in Rosario.

Rosario Central were mostly in the lower part of the league's table in the previous several years. But they had a really good last season as they finished 8th in Liga Profesional and secured the Copa de la Liga title. That allowed them to qualify for Copa Libertadores, where they finished 3rd in the group and eventually secured the Copa Sudamericana 1/16 Finals. There, they triumphed over Internacional, another Brazilian team. Even though they were good in continental competitions, they had a bad start in the Liga Profesional. Yet, after winning back-to-back games against Gimnasia LP and Newells Old Boys, they climbed to 11th place and are coming to this Copa Sudamericana game filled with confidence.

Fortaleza are playing a fantastic season, the best one ever, and it seems they are only getting better as the season progresses. They've won seven of their last eight matches, including impressive victories over top teams like Flamengo, São Paulo, and Cruzeiro. Right now, they are in second place in Brazilian Serie A, only one point fewer than Botafogo RJ but with one game played less. After their run in the Copa Sudamericana last year when they lost in the finals to LDU Quito, it was pretty evident this team is very good and capable of great things. In this duel against Rosario Central, the bookies see them as the favorite, offering odds around 1.5 for them to progress to the Quarter Finals.

Rosario Central vs Fortaleza pick: Under 2.5 goals

Rosario Central have been absolutely great for this bet in recent games. They were under 2.5 goals in five consecutive games and also in nine of the last ten matches! They are not particularly efficient and are one of the worst in the domestic league when it comes to creating chances. But a solid defense keeps them pretty high on the league's table. In the last two games, they managed to keep a clean sheet, which should be a perfect intro for the Fortaleza match.

Fortaleza are in fantastic form. They won nine of the last ten games, but most of their good games came at home. Away from home, they won just twice in the previous eight and generally had problems throughout the season. They even failed to score in four of the last eight road games. So, we believe they will try to play a defensive-orientated game and try to beat Rosario on their turf in the second leg.

Additionally, similar to Rosario Central, Fortaleza had some good defensive performances lately, allowing only one goal in the last three games despite playing against good teams.

Considering both teams' good defensive performances, the importance of the game, and Rosario's constant low-scoring games, we believe that an under 2.5 goals bet should be the best option for this Copa Sudamericana match.