Heading into the second leg of their Round of 16 tie in the Copa Libertadores, it would take a significant collapse by Palmeiras on Wednesday for Cerro Porteno to advance into the next round. Our sportsbook is offering a great range of betting markets and props for the top soccer competitions.
Palmeiras: Eyeing Third Cup in Three Years
After destroying Cerro Porteno 3-0 on the road in the first leg, Palmeiras is basically already in the next stage of Copa Libertadores. Of course, they won’t take this game lightly, but we don’t expect them to be at their maximum either — especially after they struggled in their domestic league by allowing other teams to get dangerously close to them in the title race.
As well as sitting atop the Brazilian Serie A with both the best attack with 27 goals scored and defense with just 12 allowed in the top flight, Copa Libertadores holders Palmeiras are eyeing their third cup in three years, following up a perfect group stage campaign. No other team has managed to win consecutive Libertadores titles in 20 years. Abel Ferreira’s men scored 25 goals and conceded just three times in winning all six Libertadores group games, and they saw a 19-match unbeaten run ended by fellow Serie A title contenders Athletico Paranaense last time out.
Palmeiras’ fantastic goal-scoring form in the Libertadores and recent success over Cerro Porteno make them an overwhelming favorites to add to their comfortable first-leg lead. A straight win has no betting value so we will not include them in our soccer picks and parlays. Palmeiras boast superior players to that of their opponents at all positions and, provided that any complacency is left inside the dressing room, the hosts should triumph comfortably.
Let’s check the latest soccer news, stats, injury reports and Copa Libertadores odds for Palmeiras vs Cerro Porteno. We’ve plenty of picks and predictions for you to consider.
Cerro Porteno: Huge Miracle Needed
While Cerro Porteno did enjoy a strong domestic campaign, finishing as runners-up behind Libertad, they’ve not won any of their last four Libertadores games, losing three and failing to score on three occasions. They progressed from a weak group, winning just twice in six games and scoring just five goals in six games.
A place in the quarterfinals at the moment looks fairly bleak for the Paraguayans. The score in the opening leg was not an indication of the game, as Francisco Arce’s men held their own for about an hour before conceding three goals. That was the fourth time in which El Ciclon had conceded first at this competition, and this solid defensive unit has not fared well in that scenario, losing three of those four encounters.
The worst thing about the first leg was the fact that Cerro Porteno recorded zero shots on target. They should be able to reverse the three-goal deficit, but they will be forced to attack from the first whistle. They were the last side to defeat Palmeiras in this round of the Libertadores, beating them 1-0 on the road in 2018, though falling 2-1 on aggregate. That means they might score on Wednesday, but if you’re betting online you should continue to fade them.
Palmeiras vs Cerro Porteno Head-to-Head
Palmeiras are the reigning champs of the competition, winning the last two editions, and beating Santos and Flamengo in the previous two finals. They are Brazil’s Serie A best team this season, sitting first with 29 points picked up in 15 games. They enjoyed a perfect campaign so far in Copa Libertadores, having the best attack in the competition. On the other side, Cerro Porteno never reached the semifinals of the competitions. They managed to pull off the upset by beating Palmeiras in their last two road games. Palmeiras failed to find the back of the net just twice in their last 30 home games across all competitions.
Palmeiras vs Cerro Porteno Game Information
- Game: Palmeiras (7-0-0) vs Cerro Porteno (2-2-3)
- Location: Allianz Parque (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
- Day/Time: Wednesday, 6:15 p.m. ET
- Palmeiras vs Cerro Porteno Live Stream: fubo.tv
Palmeiras vs Cerro Porteno Betting Lines
| Team | Handicap | Moneyline | Total | Team Total |
| Palmeiras | -1½ -125 | -375 | 2½ -135o | 2½ +135o / 2½ -165u |
| Cerro Porteno | +1½ -105 | +1000 | 2½ +105u | ½ +110o / ½ -140u |
| Draw | +470 |
Palmeiras vs Cerro Porteno Predictions
The hosts enter this clash as heavy favorites at -375 on the three-way moneyline according to the latest soccer odds while the goal line is set at 2½.
Although we saw three goals in the first leg between these two teams, their two mutual encounters before that have both gone under 2½ total goals and we expect the same to happen here. Palmeiras has no reason to chase goals since they already have a three-goal lead in the matchup. Cerro Porteno averaged 1.71 goals per game in Copa Libertadores this season. Palmeiras and Cerro Porteno drew at halftime in two of their last three head-to-heads. If you love betting live, our sportsbook has got you covered.
