Velez Sarsfield vs Barcelona Guayaquil: Are the Ecuadorians underestimated?

The Argentine-Ecuadorian pairing can hardly be described as top-flight in the Copa Libertadores last 16. They are far from Argentina’s strongest team, although they were semi-finalists in the previous South American Cup against one of Ecuador’s strongest teams. The Argentines are favourites to win at home, but we will point out that Barcelona beat Boca in the group stage and prevented Santos from making the playoffs.

The last official match involving Velez was on May 28. It was in the group stage of the Copa Libertadores against Flamengo, which ended 0-0. Velez Sarsfield’s exit from the Pro League Cup came in the quarter-final stages, losing to Racing. The game ended in a 0-0 draw, but Racing were stronger in the penalty shoot-out. It isn’t easy to describe Velez Sarsfield’s current form. Understandably, the future hosts have been preparing hard for the start of the Copa Libertadores playoffs. Still, without practice in official matches, there is no certainty that the Argentines will be successful.

In the group stage of the 2021 Copa Libertadores, Barcelona lost only one match out of six, and, curiously enough, the only offence for the Ecuadorians was against the Strongest, not Boca Juniors or Santos. As a result, the last Copa finalist was forced to leave the tournament, and Santos will now play in the South American Cup. Unlike Argentina, Ecuador are already playing. On June 20, Barcelona played two matches in the country’s Super Cup. On July 11, the Catalans played out a draw in the league against Emelec, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Game practice is on the Ecuadorian team’s side, and that will surely help the future visitors.

Velez Sarsfield look more potent than their opponents in terms of squad and potential. Barcelona know how to set up for important matches and win them. In Buenos Aires, though, the Ecuadorians will probably settle for a draw. We think that a draw in the upcoming game is very likely and a small number of goals scored. Here are the following options: Draw for 3.54, X2 for 1.81, Total Under (2) for 2.13.