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Today’s featured game is the Copa Sudamericana Final First Leg in Ecuador between Liga de Quito and Universidad de Chile.

The hosts are always on my list of teams to back at home when playing on the continent. Very, very few sides can deal with the altitude issue in Quito and subsequently most sides lose here. You can make allowances for a quick team or a big team or a well-organised team but playing at a height where you have to breathe three times more often than normal is something you can’t grow accustomed to overnight. My knowledge of Science isn’t great but I believe that people need at least a week at that altitude to adapt to the conditions and it wouldn’t surprise me, to be honest. Sometimes it takes the experienced Ecuadorian side a while to break through at home as they’re not an especially good side, in my view. However, they almost always break through and there isn’t a side in South America that I wouldn’t back the hosts against when playing at home!

Universidad de Chile have a lot of my respect because they’ve been a very good side this year. Part of me hopes that they win this tournament because they’ve genuinely played well whereas Liga de Quito tend to capitalise on their altitude advantage rather than actually being a good side. They’ve been terrific away from home in the Copa Sudamericana thus far, even winning against Flamengo and Club Nacional de Montevideo respectively. However, they’re a hot-headed side and when that gets the better of them, it tends to cost them and in such a big game I can see the pressure affecting them at least a bit. It’s frustrating to not be able to play your usual game due to altitude restrictions but that is what awaits the Chilean giants tonight.

Again, there’s not a side in South America that I wouldn’t take Liga de Quito to beat when playing at home at odds of evens. They’re too good at exploiting their altitude advantage and they’re vastly experienced. Their opponents aren’t idiots and won’t be easy to beat but I’ll be surprised if we don’t see a home win here, especially as the hosts know that they won’t be winning the reverse leg!

Verdict: Liga de Quito to win at evens.

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Thursday’s Picks

As ever, if there are any explanations required then please feel free to post a comment! For the remainder of my thoughts on today’s games, see below, although I feel compelled to write that the below are not necessarily my tips but merely my thoughts to prevent endless questions about my thoughts on certain games!

FIFA World Club Cup:

Kashiwa Reysol vs Auckland City (7) 1-0

Copa Sudamericana:

Liga de Quito vs Universidad de Chile (7) 2-1

Argentinian Primera Division:

Banfield vs Belgrano de Cordoba (4) 1-1
Newell’s Old Boys vs San Martin de San Juan (6) 1-0

Colombian Primera A:

Atletico Junior Barranquilla vs Boyaca Chico (7) 2-0
Itagui Ditaires vs Independiente de Santa Fe Bogota (6) 1-1
Once Caldas Manizales vs America de Cali (7) 2-1
Millonarios Bogota vs Envigado (7) 1-0

Turkish Super Lig:

Samsunspor vs Kayserispor (6) 1-1
Ankaragucu vs Bursaspor (5) 0-0
Istanbul BB vs Mersin Idmanyurdu (6) 2-1
Orduspor vs Sivasspor (6) 2-2
Manisaspor vs Besiktas JK (7) 1-2

Enjoy your free betting tips!