Nacional vs Sao Paulo Prediction and Betting Tips | August 15th 2024

Nacional will welcome Sao Paulo to Gran Parque Central for the first leg of their Copa Libertadores round-of-16 tie on tie on Thursday (August 15th). The home side is coming into the game on the back of a penalty shootout victory over Penarol at the same venue in the Uruguayan Primera Division.

Nacional went behind to Leonardo Fernandez's 34th-minute strike, before Gonzalo Petit drew the game level with 10 minutes to go. Red cards were shown to four different players in the 88th minute in what was a tightly-contested game.

Nacional eventually triumphed with an 8-7 victory in the shootout after 11 rounds of penalties.

Sao Paulo, meanwhile, saw off Atletico MG with a 1-0 home win in the Brazilian Serie A. Andre Silva scored the match-winning goal in the 15th minute.

Tricolor Paulista will now turn their focus to the continent and reached the knockout stage as Group B winners. Nacional finished second in Group H.

The winner of this tie will face either Palmeiras or Botafogo in the quarter-final.

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Nacional vs Sao Paulo Head-to-Head and Key Numbers

• The two sides were drawn at the same stage of the 2008 Copa Libertadores as well. Sao Paulo progressed with a 2-0 aggregate victory.
• Sao Paulo's last five games across competitions have seen at least one side keep a clean sheet.
• Nacional are unbeaten across their last seven games in all competitions, winning the last four on the bounce.
• Sao Paulo have won just one of their last eight away competitive games (three losses).
• Five of the Brazilian side's last six games across competitions have produced at least eight corner kicks.

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Nacional vs Sao Paulo Prediction

Nacional will enter this game as the underdogs despite playing at home. However, Martín Lasarte's side is in fine form and will fancy its chances of claiming a positive first leg result.

Sao Paulo have won three of their last four games, albeit with all three games coming away from home. The Brazilian side's games in recent months have typically been cagey affairs, with eight of its last 10 games across competitions producing less than three goals.

We are backing the two sides to share the spoils in a low-scoring stalemate.

Prediction: Nacional 1-1 Sao Paulo

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Nacional vs Sao Paulo Betting Tips

Tip 1 - Result: Draw

Tip 2 - Both teams to score

Tip 3 - Over 1.5 goals

Tip 4 - Over 8.5 corner kicks