Thursday, May 12, 2011

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13.05. (Fri) 03:45 Jaguares de Chiapas - Cerro Porteno

DID YOU KNOW?

* 2011 is Jaguares' second-ever appearance in the Copa Libertadores

* The Chiapas team are just nine years old, having been founded in 2002.

* The all-time top scorer at the club is one Salvador Cabanas, the Paraguayan slowly recovering after last year's tragic shooting.

* This year's top scorer is Colombian Jackson Martinez, with three goals.

* The club's 2011 league form has been disastrous, finishing 18th in Mexico's regular season and narrowly escaping relegation.

* Cerro Porteno also have underachieved in the league, currently lying seventh in the Clausura, 19 points behind Nacional with six games to play.

* The team also hold the dubious distinction of having played the most Copa campaigns without winning the trophy, having appeared in 32 tournaments.

* In Paraguay, however, they have an excellent record, winning 28 local tournaments to rank second behind rivals Olimpia.

* Libertadores top scorer Roberto Nanni belongs to the Ciclon, and has netted seven times in the tournament so far.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Jaguares (4-4-2):
Villasenor; Martínez, Fuentes, Flores, Cabrera; Hernandez, Valdes, Rodriguez, Andrade; Frias, Salazar

Cerro Porteno (4-4-2):
Barreto; Piris, Benítez, Cardozo, C. Benítez; Nunez, Villarreal, Caceres, Torres; Fabbro, Nanni

Prediction

Jaguares de Chiapas 3-1 Cerro Porteno

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13.05. (Fri) 01:15 Velez Sarsfield - Libertad

DID YOU KNOW?

* Tonight's match will take place in the Bombonera, after Velez Sarsfield's stadium was closed down following the excessive use of pyrotechnics against Banfield

* The Fortin are riding high in Argentina, four points clear at the top of the Clausura with six games to play.

* Their Libertadores record though has not been so impressive, as they finished second in Group 4 behind Catolica.

* Injured striker Santiago Silva is their top scorer, with three strikes.

* Velez can boast one previous Libertadores triumph, in 1994.

* Libertad are one of two Paraguayan challengers remaining, the Guarani nation the only one to have multiple teams left.

* The Repolleros are the current Paraguay champions, but in the current league are 14 points behind leaders Nacional.

* They have never won the Copa though, their best runs coming with semi-final appearances in 2006 and 2007.

* The team were the second best qualifiers after Cruzeiro, taking 14 points from Group 1. Argentine striker Nicolas Pavlovich is their top scorer with four.

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Velez Sarsfield (4-5-1):
Marcelo Barovero; Fabián Cubero, Sebastián Domínguez, Fernando Ortiz, Emiliano Papa; Augusto Fernández, Franco Razzotti, Víctor Zapata, Ricardo Alvarez, Maxi Moralez; Juan Manuel Martínez

Santiago Silva's continued absence means that Velez will line up with Martinez as a solitary striker, in an otherwise full-strength Fortin line-up.

Libertad (4-4-2):
Tobías Vargas; Carlos Bonet, Pedro Portocarrero, Ignacio Canuto, Miguel Samudio; Sergio Aquino, Víctor Cáceres, Víctor Ayala, Rodolfo Gamarra; Manuel Maciel, Nicolás Pavlovich.

Ganso suffered a thigh injury at the weekend and is the big absence for Santos; Rodrigo Possebon enters for the 21-year-old as the Peixe are otherwise at full-strength.

Prediction

Velez Sarsfield 2-0 Libertad