Fortaleza vs Velez Sarsfield Prediction: The Lions will roar at home

Fortaleza vs Velez Sarsfield: Prediction and odds on the Match on 13 August 2025

The Copa Libertadores 2025 Round of 16 kicks off with Fortaleza hosting Vélez Sarsfield at the iconic Castelão, where the Brazilian side seeks a first-leg advantage in the two-legged affair to reach the quarterfinals. Fortaleza is second in Group E with two wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses from six games played. Velez Sarsfield, on the other hand, finished top of Group H with 3 wins, 2 draws, and a loss from the six Group games played. This is their first competitive meeting, promising a tight battle with Fortaleza’s home strength facing Vélez’s attacking flair. Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

Fortaleza: form and statistics

Form in all competitions: LDLWD

Fortaleza has big ambitions in this year’s Copa Libertadores, but their domestic form tells a different story. They currently sit 18th in the league with just 15 points, though they do have a game in hand. Their most recent outing was nothing short of a disaster, a crushing 5-0 defeat to Botafogo. This defeat was only a part of a terrible form that Fortaleza has had in their last 8 league games.

Before that loss, Fortaleza had already been struggling, managing just one win in their last eight league matches. Manager Renato Paiva now faces mounting pressure to turn things around, as his trademark “massive attack, massive defense” approach hasn’t been delivering results in the Brasileiro.

The situation is becoming alarming for the team. While their league survival is in jeopardy, their focus on the Copa Libertadores remains strong. It’s a risky choice to prioritize the continental competition over domestic stability, but for Renato Peiva, it might just be the only path to a good season.

Fortaleza: Lineup

Fortaleza: Lineup

The team is faced with a lot of injuries, but this isn’t the only cause of their recent failures. 

🔖 Fortaleza probable starting lineup (4-3-3)

Vinicius Silvestre – Mancuso, Kuscevic, Gastón Ávila, Diogo Barbosa – Lucas Sasha, Matheus Pereira, Lucca Prior – Marinho, Deyverson, Breno Lopes

⛔️Out: João Ricardo, Brenno, Moisés, Brítez, Pochettino (injured)

👤 Head coach: Renato Peiva

Velez Sarsfield: form and statistics

Form in all competitions: LDDWW

El Fortin comrades have been up and running in this competition, with just one defeat so far in the Copa Libertadores. They finished Group E on top with 3 wins, 2 draws, and a single loss with the most goals scored in the group. Guillermo Schelotto’s men have been a bit inconsistent in the Liga Profesional Clausura with a win, two draws, and a single loss. Their last domestic game was against San Lorenzo, and it ended in a 1-0 defeat. Before that narrow defeat to San Lorenzo, they were held down to a goalless draw against Platense and Instituto simultaneously. Velez Sarsfield is currently 8th placed in the Clausura with a win, 2 draws, and a loss from the four games played. 

Velez Sarsfield: Probable Lineup

The guests are known for their attacking style of play, even though they can be vulnerable at the back. Coach Guillermo Schelotto will rely so much on the service of Maher Carrizo to produce moments of excitement in this game. The 19-year-old winger already has four goals in this competition.  

🔖 Velez Sarsfield probable starting lineup (4-3-3)

Tomás Marchiori - Agustín Lagos, Emmanuel Mammana, Valentin Gomez, Elías Gómez, — Claudio Baeza, Agustín Bouzat, Christian Ordoñez, — Braian Romero, Maher Carrizo, Imano Machuca

👤 Head coach: Guillermo Schelotto

Fortaleza vs Velez Sarsfield: head to head statistics

This is the first-ever meeting between the teams, adding an extra layer of excitement to the game.

Fortaleza vs Velez Sarsfield: Betting Tips & Odds

• No wins for both teams in their last three meetings, and the option for a draw in this game is offered on the 1xBet bookmaker website for odds of 3.22;
• There have been fewer than 10.5 corners in 5 of Fortaleza's last 7 games, and this option is available on the Betway bookmaker website at 1.43 odds;
• Some experts believe that Fortaleza will win, and this option is offered in the Bet365 bookmaker at 2.08 odds;

Fortaleza vs Velez Sarsfield match prediction 13 August 2025

A closer look at both teams shows a big contrast in momentum. Velez Sarsfield appears to be in a much better form when compared to Fortaleza. Both teams will struggle at best, but we should see less creativity in the game and only a few goals. Another option we can take a look at is the corner bet. Fortaleza is quite efficient on the attack, and we know what this means for the game. An increased number of corner count.

Our match prediction is a total of over 8.5 corners for a coefficient of 1.60 in the 1xBet bookmaker.

Our betting tip on the match is a half-time draw for a coefficient of 1.95 in the Betway bookmaker.

Lastly, A Fortaleza win or draw and a total of under 2.5 goals for 1.89 odds in the Bet365 bookmaker.