Early Bird Tips for South America: Rotated Squads to Focus on This Weekend
With the Copa Libertadores final next week, Nathan Joyes is looking to take advantage for his South American Early Bird Tips.
A trip to La Bombonera is on the cards (lucky you), as well as two stops in Brazil’s Serie A where Atletico face Fluminense and Corinthians host Santos.
- Early Bird Tips for Boca Juniors vs Estudiantes: Estudiantes +0.25 Asian Handicap
- Early Bird Tips for Atletico MG vs Fluminense: Atletico MG to Win
- Early Bird Tips for Corinthians vs Santos: Corinthians to Win
Acca odds: 6.00
Odds via bet365 as at 10:30, 24th October 2023. Odds may now differ.
Boca Juniors vs Estudiantes: Attention elsewhere for hosts
Argentina, Copa de la Liga Profesional, Saturday 24th October, 23:00 (UK)
Boca Juniors will have both eyes on their Copa Libertadores final next Saturday. Although that is seven days away, this is their last competitive match before they make their way to Brazil to face Fluminense.
Jorge Almiron will be taking no risks with his selection. With heavy rotations expected, we are unlikely to see Valentin Barco, Ignacio Fernandez, and Edinson Cavani, to name a few.
Risking any of his key players seems pointless, and an unsettled reserve side may be looking to impress but will no doubt struggle against Estudiantes.
Having lost just one of their last five away games, which was in the 92nd minute against Platense, Estudiantes will fancy their chances at La Bombonera. In fact, Boca has only won once in their last six home matches when full strength, so this looks like a prime opportunity for the away side.
Estudiantes won at La Bombonera 1-0 back in April, so they are far from intimidated by the home atmosphere.
- Selection: Estudiantes +0.25 Asian Handicap (TRACKED BET)
- Best Odds: 1.80
- Bookmaker: bet365
- Stakes: 9/10
Atletico MG vs Fluminense: Home side to secure all three points
Brazil, Serie A, Sunday 29th October, 01:00 (UK)
Similar to the first selection this week, Fluminense will likely be rotating ahead of their Libertadores final.
Away from their all-important match against Boca, Fluminense faces Goias on the 25th and travels to Atletico MG this weekend before a trip to Bahia on the 31st. Three games in such a short space of time will require rotation.
It won’t be plain sailing for the hosts, as Atletico suffered two consecutive home defeats to Coritiba and Cruzeiro – both relegation candidates – far from ideal as they look to secure a Libertadores spot.
However, sandwiched in between was a 2-0 victory away to Palmeiras. Prior to the defeats, Atletico had won four home matches in a row to nil, and their blip is only a minor concern at this stage.
It’s important to point out that Fluminense’s away record is atrocious. Eight points all season puts them in the bottom four away from the Maracana.
Focus is the key ingredient which has been missing, with two late goals proving costly. No doubt that is what will be addressed this week, and facing a side who are travelling heavily at present, as with other obvious distractions, Atletico MG can get back on track at a generous price.
Corinthians vs Santos: Mouthwatering six-pointer on Sunday
Brazil, Serie A, Sunday 29th October, 21:30 (UK)
Two teams firmly in a relegation tussle meet on Sunday evening, and it should be one to savour. Mano Menezes hasn’t won any of his games since being appointed (at the time of writing) but arguably won’t get a better opportunity here.
Santos’ recent resurgence carried them out of the relegation zone. Three wins on the bounce had caught the eye. However, an embarrassing 7-1 defeat away to Internacional will be challenging to bounce back from.
Prior to their recent good form, Santos’ away record was atrocious. Four points from 12 away matches saw them with the worst set of results in the league. They’ve also struggled to score on the road, netting just eight goals in 14 games while conceding a sizable 30 at the other end.
You’re never too good to go down, as Corinthians will know better than anyone. However, there should be just enough in the tank to keep their heads above water.
Losing centre-back Murillo to Nottingham Forest and Roger Guedes to Qatar has unbalanced them massively.
Yet, with the likes of Yuri Alberto, Gabriel Moscardo and Renato Augusto, there’s more than enough to get them over the line. Although they haven’t won under their new coach, a 1-1 draw with Flamengo and 3-3 away to Fluminense were good results on paper.
This is the perfect opportunity for Corinthians to strike and pull themselves away from the relegation zone, while Santos’ confidence knock will be hard to bounce back from.
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