In the second round of the playoffs, América de Cali will host Junior de Barranquilla in a crucial matchup following both teams ending their previous matches in draws. América currently leads Group A due to the advantage gained from their performance in the regular season but faces a challenging situation with multiple player absences, including star Juan Fernando Quintero, who is sidelined due to injury.
The stakes are high for the ‘Escarlatas’, as failure to secure a win at home could jeopardize their prospects for reaching the final of the Apertura Tournament 2025. On the other hand, Junior arrives at the Estadio Pascual Guerrero without their goalkeeper Santiago Melé and forward Teófilo Gutiérrez due to selection and injury issues, respectively.
Despite their setbacks, Junior is deemed a formidable opponent, having recorded stellar away results during the season with 16 points from four wins and only two losses in the regular phase. However, their recent form on the road has been inconsistent, securing victory in only one of their last five Liga BetPlay matches. Historically, Junior struggles against América at home, having not won at Pascual Guerrero since February 2019.
América, needing to capitalize on their home advantage, has also shown low scoring performance recently, with many of their matches ending with two goals or fewer. Predictive odds suggest that goals could be scarce, evidenced by a pattern where both teams frequently do not score in their matches.
Here are three suggested tips for this encounter:
1. Double chance: Draw or Junior (X2) – 1.77 via Sportium
2. Both teams to score: No – 1.67 via Sportium
3. Junior to score over 0.5 goals – 1.62 via Sportium
Current betting odds reflect América as the favorite to win at 1.82, which translates to an implied probability of 54.95% for their victory, while Junior stands at 4.90, indicating a lesser chance.
This showdown promises to be tightly contested, with both teams needing a positive outcome for different reasons. Fans can expect a match where strategies will significantly influence the final result.