Emelec vs Club Sporting Cristal Prediction and Betting Tips

Emelec entertain Club Sporting Cristal at Estadio George Capwel in the Copa Sudamericana knockout round playoffs on Wednesday (July 19).

The hosts beat Sporting at home 1-0 in the first leg in the pair's second meeting. Their first had also ended in favour of Emelec, 3-0. Thursday’s game was punctuated by rowdiness that led to eight yellow cards, including one for Cristal’s coach Nunes.

El Bombillo had five players booked, but none faces the threat of suspension. The Ecuadorian team played much like a home side against Sporting. They took the fight most times to the opponent’s half, which largely helped in defending their lone-goal lead. They will likely replicate that strategy at home.

Sporting, meanwhile, lacked composure in the first leg. They were knocked off balance by the push and pace of Emelec, with matters getting exacerbated after Cevallos’ 56th-minute opener. Sporting will likely adopt a robust strategy in the return leg or face the same fate.

Los Cerveceros will take confidence from their impressive away record heading into the game in Guayaquil. The Peruvian side are unbeaten in nine games on the road, posting five wins. However, Emelec have not suffered defeat in five games at the Estadio George Capwel.

Emelec vs Club Sporting Cristal Head-to-Head and Key Numbers

Emelec have scored six goals and conceded five in their last five games.
The hosts have won once and drawn four times in their last five home games.
Emelec have participated in 11 editions of Copa Sudamericana as opposed to two for Sporting.
Sporting have won twice and drawn thrice in their last five away games.
Emelec have won twice, drawn twice and lost once in their last five games, the same as Sporting.
Form Guide: Emelec: W-W-L-D-D: Sporting: W-L-D-W-D.

Emelec vs Club Sporting Cristal Prediction

Emelec are struggling for form in the Ecuadorian Serie A, finishing 13th out of 16 teams in the first stage. However, they're expected to conserve their lead and win the tie against Sporting.

Sporting Cristal are second in the Peruvian Primera Division, thanks in part to Brenner and Alejandro Hohberg’s 11 and nine goals respectively. The same impact is yet to be felt in the Copa Sudamericana, though,

Considering the same, Emelec are expected to accomplish the mission at home and book their place in the Round of 16.

Prediction: Emelec 3-1 Sporting

Emelec vs Club Sporting Cristal Betting Tips

Tip 1: Result – Emelec

Tip 2: Game to have over 2.5 goals – Yes

Tip 3: Emelec to score first – Yes

Tip 4: Club Sporting Cristal to score - Yes

About the author

Kingsley is a seasoned European and international football journalist at Sportskeeda who covers match previews. He holds a Bachelor’s degree. in Communication and has a mammoth 29 years of experience in the field, with his work being featured in the BBC, Al Jazeera, GOAL, Supersports, and more. He has also done the on-site coverage of six different editions of the Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA World Cup once in 2006.

Kingsley’s interest in the game blossomed playing street football at nine years old, and ultimately went on to play football professionally as a defender. His favorite football team is Barcelona as he simply adores their ‘Tiki-Taka’ style of play, and their incredible 6-1 comeback win against PSG in the 2016-17 Champions League Round of 16 is his most memorable football match till date. His all-time favorite player is Lionel Messi and admires the style of play of Pep Guardiola’s teams.

Kingsley places a high emphasis on original content. Outside of European football, he also likes following the MLS, Liga MX, and the Brazilian Serie A. In his free time, Kingsley likes to listen to music and explore the world of photography.

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