River Plate vs Defensor Sporting Prediction: Can River Plate Maximize the Home Advantage?

In the upcoming fixture of the Uruguayan Primera Division, Matchday 13, River Plate will be up against Defensor Sporting at the Estadio Saroldi in Montevideo. According to the table standings of today, River Plate stands 7th with 4 wins and 16 points, whereas Defensor Sporting stands 4th with 5 wins and 20 points. With River Plate making efforts to maximize their potential in the last three matches, the upcoming home fixture could be an interesting duel to witness. The two sides last played each other in September 2022, and Defensor Sporting won (0-1). From the last five matches played between the two, River Plate has only defeated Defensor once.

The inconsistent match form prevails for River Plate as it is coming off a draw against La Luz (2-2), in which Jonathan dos Santos struck the opening goal on penalty in the 13th minute of play. Next, Cristian Barros scored the goal in the 82nd minute. However, River Plate couldn’t hold onto the lead and advantage. With 7 yellow cards, River Plate looked a bit rash and will have to improve the discipline during gameplay. During the second half, Agustin Chopitea, Pablo Lopez, Cristian Barros, and Ramiro Cristobal were given a go, and they somehow managed to deliver a decent performance. With 2 defeats, 2 draws, and just a win in the last 5 matches played, River Plate will be hoping for three consecutive wins in the upcoming matchups.
Talking about the scoring, River Plate has scored 5 goals in the last 5 matches, averaging 1.00 goals per game. On the other hand, it has conceded 8 goals, averaging 1.60 goals per game. Hence, the striking average is lesser than the conceding average. Therefore, River is likely to play with a balanced strategy against Defensor.

After securing wins in the two back-to-back matches, Defensor has drawn 2 and lost a fixture in the last three matches played. In the last outing against Deportivo Maldonado (1-1), Alvaro Navarro secured the all-important equalizer on penalty in the 58th minute of play. With the inclusion of Guillermo De Los Santos, Santiago Scotto, and Fernando Elizari, Defensor looked a bit relaxed in the home fixture. Under the command of Coach Marcelo Mendez, Defensor will be looking to win against River Plate, irrespective of the home and away conditions.
Defensor Sporting has scored 7 goals in the last five matches, averaging 1.40 goals per game. Against the scoring average, Defensor has conceded just 3 goals, averaging 0.60 goals per game. Hence, Defensor Sporting has done quite well in terms of minimizing the scoring and striking the ball.

River Plate lost its last outing at home against Montevideo Wanderers (1-2) and registered a win before that against Danubio (2-1). For the upcoming home match, River Plate will be starting under pressure, which gives Defensor a chance to register a win. Defensor lost its last away game to Boston River (1-0), which makes the odds pretty balanced for tomorrow. I am predicting a draw or Defensor to win, as it has a better striking and conceding average compared to the home side. Secondly, the match total is likely to be under 2.5 goals, and only Defensor Sporting to score. 

• Defensor Sporting to Win for 2.37
• Both Teams to Score - No for 1.975
• Total Under 2.5 for 1.735