Olimpia v Melgar

Olimpia vs Melgar Preview

The other game in Group H sees the group leaders, Olimpia, pit their wits against third-placed Melgar with both teams eager to press home their claims for a place in the knockout rounds and qualification for the Copa Sudamericana respectively, when the two clubs meet at the Estadio Manuel Ferreira on Tuesday night.

Olimpia sit top of the group by a slender margin of just one point over second-placed Atletico Nacional but having won three and drawn two of their five games to date, Olimpia will be hoping that they get the nod here and the more favourable draw for the ensuing knockout round.

Wins against Patronato home and away along with a comprehensive 3-0 rout of Atletico Nacional at home will give Olimpia confidence in gaining a positive result at the Estadio Manuel Ferreira on Tuesday night, while the bigger picture shows Olimpia have lost just three of their last 16 matches in the Copa Libertadores, while results at home have seen Olimpia put together a solid eight-match unbeaten run in this competition.

Melgar will also be upbeat about their chances of gaining a positive result at the Estadio Manuel Ferreira on Tuesday night following three wins on the trot in all competitions which have seen the visitors pick up victories against Patronato 5-0 at home in the Copa Libertadores, along with back-to-back wins in the Peruvian Primera Division against Deportivo Binacional and ADT.

However, before we get too carried away, it should be noted that each of Melgar's recent three wins were all registered on home soil at their Estadio de la Universidad Nacional San Agustín, while results away from home have for the most part, been extremely disappointing for the visitors.

Melgar have managed to capture just two wins from their previous 20 outings on the road in all competitions along with losing 10 of these games, so the prospects of an away win for Melgar in this final game in Group H at the group leaders looks distinctly unlikely.

In addition, Melgar look to have their work cut out if they're to even gain a point here as the visitors have kept just two clean sheets in these last 20 away games which also does not appear to bode well for this upcoming trip.

Olimpia v Melgar Verdict

Having lost just three of their last 21 home games in all competitions, it's Olimpia that look the more likely to grab the all-important three points in this clash especially as the hosts have also won six of their last eight home games in this competition and they should be too strong for Melgar with home advantage.

Therefore, our main bet will be Olimpia win @ 1.65

Other side bets worth considering:

Over 2.5 goals @ 1.90

Correct score: Olimpia 2-1 @ 8.50