The Río side visit Paraguay for the first leg of the second phase of the 2023 Copa Libertadores. Tiago Nunes’ men are aiming for a good result to face their homecoming with confidence.
After Sport Huancayo’s painful elimination from the 2023 Copa Libertadores, it is now the turn of the second Peruvian representative in the competition. Sporting Crystal will debut in the tournament as a guest precisely against the Huancaínos’ henchman, Nacional de Asunción, who wants to repeat the court against a League 1 team in order to get closer to his goal of reaching the group stage.
For this first game, the main betting companies give the local team as favorites, although they face the beer team for the first time and even have a negative record against Peruvian clubs. For their part, the Rimenses also cannot boast of a good record in the preliminary round of the continental tournament, having contested this instance four times and never surpassed it.
Sporting Cristal vs National: Prediction
- Betsson: Nacional wins (1.85), draws (3.50), Cristal wins (4.20)
- Bet365: Nacional wins (1.80), draws (3.40), Cristal wins (4.20)
- 1XBet: Nacional wins (1.87), draws (3.52), Cristal wins (4.24)
- Doradobet: Nacional wins (1.87), draws (3.33), Cristal wins (4.50)
- Incabet: National Victory (1.85), Draw (3.50), Crystal Victory (4.40).
The competitive pace at which both rivals are arriving could also be a factor to consider. So far this year, Nacional have played five official matches, winning three and losing the remaining two, scoring nine goals and conceding six. Cristal, on the other hand, has only played two games: a draw and a win, with two goals for and one against.
When do Sporting Cristal vs. National play?
The first leg between Guaraníes and Rimenses takes place this Tuesday, February 21, from 17:00 (Peruvian time) and 19:00 (Paraguayan time). The stage of the crossing will be the Defensores del Chaco stadium and the broadcast will take place in Peru and Paraguay on behalf of ESPN.