Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Copa Sudamericana match.
Vasco da Gama only booked their spot in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana knockout playoff in the final round of the group stage. Their next opponents are Independiente del Valle, who drop into the Sudamericana after finishing third in their Copa Libertadores group. While Independiente del Valle may not be a household name, writing them off would be a serious oversight.
Independiente del Valle
Independiente del Valle ended up as the highest-placed team in Group B of the Copa Libertadores but couldn’t edge out the other two teams in the group, most notably River Plate. That leaves them in this playoff scenario. Last year, their Sudamericana journey ended at this same stage following a defeat to Boca Juniors. This time around, they face Vasco da Gama, a team in just their third season back in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A.
Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama have limited pedigree in the Copa Libertadores, and their current campaign in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A has left a lot to be desired. At present, they sit just two points above the relegation zone, far from any continental qualification places. In their first match after the league resumed, they slumped to a 0:2 home defeat against Botafogo, the reigning Copa Libertadores champions.
Independiente del Valle vs Vasco da Gama Prediction
The Campeonato Brasileiro Série A is widely considered the toughest league in Latin America. Nevertheless, we believe Vasco da Gama would face stiff competition even in Liga Pro Serie A. Independiente del Valle nearly beat River Plate at home, having gone 2:0 up before conceding a late equaliser. With that in mind, it would be a major surprise if they don’t come out on top in this tie.
