UANL Tigres - Alajuelense

CONCACAF Champions League, Group Stage

Last round in the group stage, and things are a bit complicated in Group 6. Current leaders Alajuelense will travel to Mexico to face Tigres, and they will need at least a draw in order to ensure qualification from this group. However, the same Tigres are their main followers, and for sure they will be going all in to ensure they get the 3 points. The Costa Ricans aren't a bad side at all (actually they are one of the strongest non-Mexican teams in the continent), but their main advantages are at home, or against the lower ranked team. They usually struggle in their visits to Mexico, and I expect the same scenario today. Tigres will probably use the best available team, since anything else than a win will send them out of the competition. The only absences will be Lucas Lobos (long time injury, 29/16), and midfielder Abraham Stringel (1/0). Everyone else is ready to go, and they should start from the first minute. The handicap line is a bit high, but I totally trust Tigres to cover it. GL!

Tigres (-1.5 AH) @ 1.90, 3/10
Result: 2-0, WON

Alajuelense - UANL Tigres

CONCACAF Champions League, Group Stage

Costa Rica is a tough place to go and win, even for the big teams of the continent. I wouldn't exactly call Tigres one of the big teams, and I consider that even under normal circumstances, they would have a tough time getting the 3 points from Alajuelense. I'm saying 'under normal circumstances', because apparently, the coach is favoring the local league, and since they already have 3 points in this group stage of the Champions League, they can take it easy now. Therefore, they will be fielding a reserve team tonight, with just one regular player on the pitch: midfielder Viniegra (24/1). Other than him, Tigre will be using just reserve players, including goalkeeper de Leon and defender Zamora, who have yet to make an appearance this season, plus striker Guarch who played just one match as a substitute. So I'd say it's a pretty weak line-up, and most likely they will be going there for the draw. But it will be tough for sure, as Alajuelense are no push-overs. They are the current leaders of their local league, and are a very strong home team (last year they won all home matches in the group stage, including matches against LA Galaxy, Morelia), so I expect them to take something from this match. GL!

Alajuelense DNB @ 1.91, 4/10

Result: 2-2, VOID

Puntarenas - Alajuelense

Costa Rica Primera Division, Invierno

Odds dropped a bit on this match, but I still find it worth betting. The group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League will start next week, and Alajuelense will be Costa Rica's main performer in the competition. And since they want to put in some good performances, but also to make sure their players won't be suffering from fatigue later in the season, they are already starting with some squad rotations. Therefore, today we will be seeing 4-5 players that will start a match for the first time this season, in a weaker Alajuelense team. Puntarenas should be a good match for them, as they have been looking quite solid in the first three rounds, and are sure to want a good performance and a win, under this circumstances. The opening odds were poor even for a full squad Alajuelense, so with a mixed team we even had some value. Now, the odds are near the real value, but they are still worth to take, as I find it hard to believe that Puntarenas won't be snatching at least a point. GL!

Puntarenas (+0.25 AH) @ 1.71, 4/10

Result: 1-3, LOST