Ind. del Valle vs Once Caldas: Ecuador is always difficult territory to win

Ind. del Valle vs Once Caldas: Prediction and odds on the Match on 18 September 2025

At the Estadio Banco Guayaquil in Sangolqui, Ecuador, Ind. del Valle hosts Colombia's Once Caldas in the first leg of their Copa Sudamericana quarterfinal. Both teams have been in solid form in recent times, but Ind. del Valle are a big favorite at home, in front of its raucous fans. Ind. del Valle also have more experience in these types of matches than Once Caldas, but that means the Ecuadorian team is under more pressure to get a positive result after the first leg.

Ind. del Valle: form and statistics

Independiente del Valle are one of the strongest teams in the domestic league in Ecuador, but in recent years also in South America, as they managed to win the Copa Sudamericana title in 2019 and 2022. They are known for their good academy and focus on young talented players. This season, they have a solid position in the league and they are playing on high level, and after 28 rounds played, they are convincingly in first place with 62 points, even 12 points ahead than the second-placed team Barcelona SC. They qualified for the quarter-finals of the Copa Sudamericana after winning on penalties against another team from Ecuador, Mushuc Runa (2-2 on aggregate, 4-2 on penalties) as both teams won at home by a single goal. Their form at home is frightening, and they are currently on a streak of 7 wins in a row. Their last defeat at this ground was back in May in a domestic league match against Emelec.

Ind. del Valle Lineup

🔖 Ind. del Valle starting lineup (4-5-1)

Independiente del Valle (expected lineup): Villar - Cortés, Schunke, Carabajal, Fernández - Pata Rodríguez, Méndez, Sornoza, Alcívar, Vernaza - Spinelli

👤 Head coach: Javier Rabanal

Once Caldas: form and statistics

Once Caldas are a famous Colombian club from Manzales, but on an international level, they are far from the fame and experience that their opponent has. They have the title of Copa Libertadores back in 2004. In recent years, they have been fighting for the top spot in the Colombian Primera A, however, this season they have started terribly, and after 11 rounds they are in 12th place with only 13 points. They have a record of 3 wins, 4 draws, and 4 losses, which is very humiliating for them. However, in the last 5 matches, they have shown a better quality of play and stability in all parts of the team. In the Copa Sudamericana, they reached the quarter-finals after being better in the two-legged match with the Argentine team Huracan with an aggregate of 4-1 in the round of 16. Their game is based on solid defense and fast counter-attacks, which will surely be their most powerful weapon in Ecuador.

Once Caldas Lineup

🔖 Once Caldas starting lineup (4-5-1)

Once Caldas (expected lineup): Aguirre - Cuesta Santos, Riquett, Rodríguez, Palacios Mena - Zuleta García, García, García, Sánchez, Barrios - Moreno

👤 Head coach: Javier Rabanal

Ind. del Valle vs Once Caldas: head to head statistics

Interestingly, this will be their first-ever duel in all competitions throughout history, and it's giving this match a little bit of uncertainty and an unknown aspect

Ind. del Valle vs Once Caldas: Betting Tips & Odds

• Over 2.5 goals scored in 4 of Ind. del Valle's last 5 games, and this option is available on the Betway bookmaker website at 1.99 odds;
• Both teams didn't score in the last 3 Once Caldas' matches, and this option is available on the Bet365 bookmaker website at 1.76 odds;
• Ind. del Valle won in their last 7 matches at home, and this option is available on the 1xbet bookmaker website at 1.64 odds

Ind. del Valle vs Once Caldas match prediction 18 September 2025

We аre expecting an interesting duel in which two different styles of play and philosophies meet. I expect Ind. del Valle to attack from the very beginning, while Once Caldas to show their solidity in defense and dangerous counter-attacks. I think that in the end, the host will still manage to win and score at least 2 goals in front of their fans, taking into account their form and experience in international competitions.

Our match prediction is team 1 over 1.5 goals for a coefficient of 1.8 in the 1xBet bookmaker.

Our betting tip on the match is W1 and over 2.5 goals for a coefficient of 2.7 in the Betway bookmaker.

Lastly, correct score 3:0 for 11 odds in the Bet365 bookmaker.