Magallanes vs Independiente Medellin Prediction: One Last Hurdle in Qualifying for Group Stages

In the upcoming third-round fixture of Copa Libertadores, Leg 1, Magallanes will host Independiente Medellin in Rancagua, Chile. Going in the most important round of the Libertadores stage, the two teams will be looking to play according to their strengths and capitalize on their opponent’s weaknesses. However, the two teams are coming off a decent run in their domestic Primera Divisions and are likely to present one of the best encounters this season. This fixture will be the first official meetup between the two teams. The Chilean side will look to bring all its experience to the field in its home ground, whereas the Colombian unit will look to extend its winning streak.

Going in the matchup against Independiente Medellin, Magallanes is coming off a defeat against Colo-Colo. Magallanes has evidently struggled in converting half chances into goal-scoring chances, which is why it has scored only 8 and conceded 11 goals in the Chilean Primera Division. Talking about the positives, Magallanes kept themselves cool and defeated Always Ready, which was certainly an upset to witness. With Matias Poblete, Julian Alfaro, and Felipe Flores scoring goals, Deportivo Magallanes managed a comfortable and comprehensive win. Under the command of Arnaldo Nunez, Deportivo Magallanes will look to stick to the basics and make the most of the upcoming home fixture. In the last 10 matches at home, Magallanes has scored with an average of 1.80 goals per game. Compared to the scoring average, the conceding average is just 0.50 goals, which is quite extraordinary. 

Gastón Rodríguez; Matías Vásquez, Christian Vilches, Fernando Piñero, Felipe Espinoza; Alfred Canales, Tomás Aránguiz, Thomas Jones, Carlos Villanueva, Julián Alfaro; Felipe Flores.

Going in the matchup, Independiente Medellin is coming off a fantastic and predicted win against Rionegro Aguilas (3-0). In the last Colombian outing, Miguel Monsalve, Diber Cambindo, and Daniel Torres scored goals. With just 37% possession and 5 shots on target, Medellin achieved a clean sheet win, upsetting Rionegro fans in the crowd. Giving credit to Andres Mosquera, who managed to block 4 shots of Rionegro, giving his side an important win before the Libertadores clash. Independiente Medellin has scored 8 goals in its last 5 matches, averaging about 1.6 goals per game. On the other hand, it has conceded just 5 goals at an average of just 1 goal per game. Hence, Medellin will look to keep up with the pace and register a win in the first leg of the third round. 

Andrés Mosquera; Jhon Palacios, Víctor Moreno, Andrés Cadavid; Jordy Monroy, Daniel Torres, Andrés Ricaurte, Daniel Londoño, Felipe Pardo, Ever Valencia; Luciano Pons.

Going in the match, Medellin under the command of David Gonzalez will look to take minimum risks and play little defensively. Undoubtedly, the pressure is likely to get the best out of the home side, and the Colombian side to feel the heat as their coach is being continuously criticized for under-par performance on a few instances. Hence, I believe Medellin will be able to tackle the pressure well and secure a draw if not a win against Magallanes.  

• Draw or Independiente Medellin for 1.57
• Total Under 2.5 for 1.66
• Both Teams to Score - Yes for 1.92