Estudiantes vs Cerro Porteno Prediction: Pincha aim to defend first-leg lead at home

Estudiantes vs Cerro Porteno: Prediction and odds on the Match on 21 August 2025

Estudiantes host Cerro Porteño in the second leg of the Copa Libertadores 2025 Round of 16 at Estadio Ciudad de La Plata, holding a 1-0 lead from the first leg after Santiago Ascacíbar’s stoppage-time penalty secured victory at Estadio General Pablo Rojas. Estudiantes, coming off a 3-2 loss to Banfield in the Argentine Primera División, aim to leverage their home strength and guide their way to the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores. Cerro Porteno’s 8-game unbeaten run across all competitions came to an end at the hands of Estudiantes, and they will be aiming for a comeback victory at the Estadio Jorge on Thursday. This is a very defining moment for both teams, and we are excited to see how it all unfolds. Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

Estudiantes: form and statistics

Form in all competitions: LWWWW

The Pincha under manager Eduardo Dominguez finished top in Group A with four wins and two losses from a total of six group games played. They scored the most goals in Group A with 11 goals to the good and just conceded 5, which happens to be the fewest goals conceded in the group. They secured a straight qualification to the round of 16, where they managed to secure a narrow 0-1 away win over Cerro Porteno in the first leg. The game was a very tightly contested game, with Santiago Ascacíbar’s stoppage-time penalty securing victory for the Pincha at Estadio General Pablo Rojas after a night of intense football. 

In the recently started Argentine Liga Profesional de Fútbol, Estudiantes is thriving with 3 wins and two losses from the five league games played. They remain firm in second position even after their sad 3-2 loss to Banfield over the weekend. Their home form is fair, with victories in their last two home games, and we can only hope for them to replicate this on Thursday.

Estudiantes: Lineup

With Joaquin Tobio unavailable because of his injury, Lucas Alario is likely to lead the line as he has been doing alongside Tiago Palacios and Cristian Medina. Fernando Muslera was the man of the match in their 0-1 first-leg win over Cerro Porteno, and he will be available for Thursday’s clash.  

🔖 Estudiantes starting lineup (4-3-3)

Fernando Muslera – Eric Meza, Pirez, Facundo Rodriguez, Santiago Arzamendia, – Santiago Ascacibar, Alexis Castro, Cristian Medina – Edwuin Cetre, Guido Carrillo, Tiagi Palacios

👤 Head Coach: Eduardo Dominguez

Cerro Porteno: form and statistics

Form in all competitions: WLDWW

Cerro Porteno’s 8-game unbeaten league run came to an end at the hands of Estudiantes last week. Cerro Porteno lost a home game after 6 games unbeaten at home. The team played their best, but Santiago Ascacibar's last-minute penalty dashed Cerro Porteno’s dream of a draw. Cerro Porteno leads the Paraguay Division de Honor Clausura with 6 wins, 2 draws from the 8 games played. Their most recent league game was against Club Guarani, and the game ended in a 3-4 victory to Cerro Porteno, solidifying their position at the top of the Paraguay league. 

In the Copa Libertadores, Cerro Porteno finished in second place in Group G with 2 wins, a draw, and 3 losses from the six group games played, with 7 goals scored and 11 conceded. Cerro Porteno secured a straight qualification to the round of 16, where they faced Estudiantes and lost in the first leg. The team is geared up for the game of their lives in Argentina.

Cerro Porteno: Probable Lineup

Iturbe Juan, Sergio Araujo, and Dominguez Cecilio will be key in the attacking line to push for the goals. The trio scored in their 3-4 league victory against Club Guarani last week. Jonathan Torres will be available for this game, and let's not forget he is the team's top scorer in the Copa Libertadores this season.

Player to watch out for: Juan Iturbe

Juan Inturbe is the team's top scorer in the league this season with 4 goals to his name.

🔖 Cerro Porteno Expected Lineup ( 4-4-2):

Martin Alexis Arias(G) – Riveros, Matias Perez, Lucas Quintana, Fabricio Dominguez – Federico Carrizo, Piris da Motta,Jorge Marcelino, Juan Iturbe – Sergio Araujo, Luis Amarilla

👤 Head Coach: Martinez Diego Heman

Estudiantes vs Cerro Porteno: head to head statistics

The teams have previously met twice in the knockout stage of the Copa Libertadores 2016, and both legs ended in a goalless draw. However, Cerro Porteno won on penalties. This time around, Estudiantes is holding the lead after their first-leg meeting.

Estudiantes vs Cerro Porteno: Betting Tips & Odds

• No losses for Estudiantes in their last three games, and the option for Estudiantes to win this game is offered on the 1xBet bookmaker website for odds of 1.65;
• Less than 10.5 corners for Cerro Porteno in 5 of their last 7 games, and this option is offered on the Bet365 bookmaker website for odds of 1.63;
• Some experts believe that the game will end in a draw, as this has been the case in two of their last three meetings, and this option is offered in the Bet365 bookmaker at 3.78 odds;

Estudiantes vs Cerro Porteno match prediction 21 August 2025

Both teams are in good shape. Cerro Porteno played very well in the first leg, but they ended up losing the game anyway. Estudiantes is on a winning spree with only a defeat in their last 5 league game alongside four consecutive victories. I think the teams are at par in terms of form and strength, and a half-time draw could be the way out here. It's a critical stage of the competition, and the team will not throw caution to the wind. A first-half draw is a good betting option. However, in terms of the match result, I believe Estudiantes will not lose. We can also see goals from both teams. Cerro Porteno is quite good on the offensive, and with their list of forwards, they shouldn't have a hard time finding the net on Thursday.

Our match prediction is the second half most scoring half, for a coefficient of 2.16 in the 1xBet bookmaker.

Our betting tip on the match is a first-half draw for a coefficient of 2.06 in the Betway bookmaker.

Lastly, A BTTS (Yes) for 2.29 odds in the Bet365 bookmaker.