Henry Roldán
The Chilean Primera Division’s 2023 season is taking form, and this Saturday’s match between Audax Italiano vs Universidad Catolica features two teams with continental aspirations.
The Italians are coming off a 1-1 draw against Union Espanola in their last game, while the Cruzados also drew 3-3 with Cobresal the previous day.
Notably, both clubs are scheduled to meet again on March 7 in the qualifying round for the Copa Sudamericana group stage. Without further ado, JefeBet presents a preview of the upcoming match between Audax Italiano vs Universidad Católica.
Predictions, Odds, and Betting Preview for the Audax Italiano vs Universidad Catolica Chilean Primera Division Matchday 5 Game on February 18, 2023
- Where: Estadio Bicentenario de la Florida – Santiago de Chile, Chile.
- When: Saturday, February 18, 2023, 6:30 PM E.T.
- Moneyline: Audax Italiano (+205) / Tie (+210) / Universidad Católica (+130).
- Asian Handicap: Audax Italiano (To be determined) / Universidad Católica (To be determined).
- Over/Under (2.5): Over (-130) / Under (-100).
- Both teams score: Yes (-172) / No (+125).
All odds shown are courtesy of Unibet.
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Betting on Audax Italiano
With the upcoming commitment for the Copa Sudamericana in March, it is evident that the match against Universidad Católica holds significant importance for the Audax Italiano team. Although they are not currently vying for the top spot, it is expected that the Tanos will contend for a place in continental competitions, with Católica being a direct competitor.
In the current championship, Manuel Fernández’s team sits in 11th place on the leaderboard with four points and is heading into their third home game. While they comfortably defeated Copiapó in their second match, they were held to a draw by Unión Española last week.
Audax Italiano is currently undefeated at home this season, a marked improvement from their inconsistent home record last season, where they secured 22 points from 15 games.
Possible Audax Italiano lineup (4-3-3): Joaquín Muñoz; Nicolás Fernández, Carlos Labrín, Fabián Torres, Estaban Matus; Marcelo Díaz, Fernando Juárez, Matías Sepúlveda; Luis Riveros, Gonzalo Sosa, Michael Fuentes.
Betting on Universidad Católica
Getting back to winning ways won’t be an easy task for Universidad Católica, who have gone two weeks without securing three points. As one of the title contenders, they were unable to recover from last week’s unexpected defeat against Coquimbo on matchday 3 and ended up drawing with Cobresal at home.
Cristian Paulucci’s team currently sits in third place in the standings with seven points, trailing the leader Huachipato by two points, with the latter having a game in hand. This will be the Cruzados’ third away game this season, and after winning their first away match, they faltered in their visit to Coquimbo.
In the previous campaign, La Católica finished as the seventh-best team on the road with 17 points in 15 games. Their defense was their primary weakness, as they conceded the fifth-most goals away from home, with a total of 27.
Probable lineup (4-4-2): Matías Dituro; Eugenio Mena, Gary Kagelmacher, Guillermo Burdisso, Mauricio Isla; Ignacio Saavedra, Brayan Rovira, Alexander Aravena, Gonzalo Tapia; Fernando Zampedri, Franco Di Santo.
JefeBet Prediction
We expect a highly competitive match next Saturday as two direct rivals prepare to face each other multiple times in the upcoming weeks.
This match will serve as a prelude to the two clashes for the Copa Sudamericana, and goals are expected to be the highlight, considering the performance of both teams at the beginning of the championship.
In the first four matches, both Audax and Católica have seen both teams score in three of their games. The Italians have had two games that ended with three goals on the scoreboard, while the Cruzados have played four games with at least three goals on the scoreboard.
Prediction: Both teams score (AUD 2 – CAT 2).
