Santa Fe at Emelec 5/23/18 - Copa Libertadores Picks & Predictions

This is a really crucial match at the bottom of Group D in the Copa Libertadores, where Emelec from Ecuador will play host to Santa Fe from Colombia. Neither team can challenge any of the top two spots that lead to the next stage of this competition, but they will fight for the 3rd spot that leads to the Copa Sudamericana.

Emelec (0-4-1) actually made a solid start in this group stage when they held for a 1-1 draw against Santa Fe in Colombia, but have been really bad ever since. They have lost each of their next four matches, but they were quite decent in all four losses. Emelec are now sitting at the bottom of Group D with just a single point, but they still have some hopes for the 3rd spot. However, they will need to defeat Santa Fe in this match, which might not be an easy task at all. Santa Fe (0-1-4) have been really sturdy in the group stage so far, as they have lost just one of their five matches up to date. They have actually held for draws in each of their first four matches, but eventually fell by 1-0 at home against River Plate in their most recent match. They are now sitting at the 3rd spot of the Group with 4 points, having scored just 2 goals against 3 conceded. They now need at least a draw in order to continue to the Copa Sudamericana, and since they remained undefeated against the two best teams in the group, they can surely do so here.