Botafogo began their Copa Libertadores campaign with a defeat and are under pressure to recover from a poor start to the season. However, they now face Carabobo, a team known for its low-scoring but effective performances.
The reigning Copa Libertadores champions and current Brazilian title holders, Botafogo, have struggled to find consistency in the new campaign. Botafogo have recorded only one win in their last nine fixtures. Their group stage journey in the Copa Libertadores began with a 0:1 loss against Universidad de Chile. The squad is lacking firepower up front: they sold one of their key players, Luis Enrique, to FC Zenit Saint Petersburg and parted ways with several others. In their place, Botafogo brought in a number of underwhelming signings, including Santiago Rodriguez from New York City FC—who scored 13 goals in 36 appearances—but he has yet to make a meaningful impact.
Carabobo have started the season strongly and currently top the league standings with 21 points from 10 rounds. Carabobo suffered an early setback in the Copa Libertadores with a 0:2 defeat to Estudiantes, but that remains their only loss in their last six outings. The squad have taken a pragmatic approach, securing four 1:0 victories during this stretch.
Botafogo are struggling in attack and are prone to defensive lapses, which has cost the squad valuable points. While Carabobo may be of a lower calibre than Botafogo, they are performing with confidence in their domestic league and proved difficult to break down in their narrow defeat to Estudiantes. Given this context, a bet on Carabobo with a +2.5 handicap appears justified.
