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In the 2022 Copa Libertadores, Estudiantes will host Velez Sarsfield at the Estadio Ciudad de La Plata in their group opener on Friday morning.
Estudiantes faced Audax Italiano in their first qualification tie, winning 2-0 on home turf to cancel out a 1-0 defeat in the first leg. They then faced Everton in the next round, beating the Chilean club 1-0 both home and away.
Estudiantes are four-time winners of the Copa Libertadores, with their most recent triumph coming back in 2009. They will now look to put out a strong showing on their return to the competition after three years.
Velez Sarsfield secured a spot in the Copa Libertadores after finishing second in the 2021 Argentine Primera División and 2021 Copa de la Liga Profesional first stage.
The Fort's only triumph in the Copa Libertadores came in 1994. They were knocked out in the last 16 of the tournament by Barcelona SC last season and will hope for better luck this time.
Estudiantes vs Velez Sarsfield Head-to-Head
There have been 38 meetings between Estudiantes and Velez Sarsfield. The former have won 12 of those games, while Sarsfeld have won two more than their opponents. There have been 12 draws between the two teams.
The two teams last faced off in a league clash last month, which ended 1-1.
Estudiantes Form Guide (All Competitions): D-W-D-W-L.
Velez Sarsfield Form Guide (All Competitions): W-L-D-D-W.
Estudiantes vs Velez Sarsfield Team News
Estudiantes
Mauro Boselli, Leandro Diaz and Ezequiel Munoz are all injured and will not play against Sarsfield on Friday.
Injured: Mauro Boselli, Leandro Diaz, Ezequiel Munoz.
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: None.
Unavailable: None.
Velez Sarsfield
They have no injury or suspension concerns.
Injured: None.
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: None.
Unavailable: None.
Estudiantes vs Velez Sarsfield Predicted XIs
Estudiantes (4-4-2): Mariano Andujar (GK); Emmanuel Mas, Fabian Noguera, Agustin Rogel, Leonardo Godoy; Matias Pellegrini, Jorge Rodriguez, Fernando Zuqui, Manuel Castro; Gustavo del Prete, Brian Orosco.
Velez Sarsfield (4-3-3): Lucas Hoyos (GK); Francisco Ortega, Lautaro Giannetti, Matias de los Santos, Tomas Guidara; Santiago Caseres, Nicolas Garayalde, Maximo Perrone; Julian Fernandez, Agustin Bouzat, Lucas Pratto
$1,100 First Bet Insurance at Caesars
Estudiantes vs Velez Sarsfield Prediction
Estudiantes are on a four-game unbeaten run and have lost just one of their last nine games across competitions. They have lost just one game on home turf this year and will look to maximise their home advantage on Friday.
Sarsfield have won just one of their last four games and two of their eight league outings this season. Estudiantes should win this one.
Prediction: Estudiantes 2-1 Velez Sarsfield.
