Deportivo La Guaira will host General Caballero JLM on Thursday in their final Copa Sudamericana Group G match, even though it is impossible for either team to progress in the tournament.
Right now they each have just one point to their names, meaning this will give them a chance not to finish bottom of the table even though they cannot finish any higher than third place.
Match preview
Deportivo La Guaira have only managed to pick up a single point in the Copa Sudamericana this season, and that just so happened to come from their previous game against their upcoming opponents.
The two teams met on matchday one of the group, getting off to a reasonable start with a point on the board each, but since that point, they have both lost every game they have played in this tournament.
Their previous match saw them draw 1-1 with Leandro Corulo giving General Caballero JLM the lead only for Yohan Cumana to draw Deportivo level at the start of the second half.
Daniel Farias has seen his men struggle defensively in this competition as they have conceded 12 goals in their previous five outings, but their opponents actually boast a worse record than that.
That is the only thing that keeps them in third place at the moment in Group G, and there is no doubt they will be looking for some bragging rights and a confidence-making result by winning on Thursday.
The visitors have been suffering a difficult patch of form recently, and they head into this match have won just once in their previous 13 outings in all competitions.
Defensively General Caballero JLM have been struggling this season which was clear in their past two matches where they have conceded 11 goals without scoring once.
Their recent 4-0 defeat on Sunday continued their league struggles, with the squad currently sitting second bottom with just three wins from 17 outings.
That is why a victory on Thursday could be crucial in a bid to turn their season around in terms of belief, momentum and confidence within the group.
General Caballero JLM have only scored twice in their past eight matches though, which is a real cause for concern heading into this one, especially since both of those goals came during one game.
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Team News
Jovanny Bolivar is likely to find himself leading the line for Deportivo La Guaira on Thursday as a lone striker, which is a role he has been deployed in throughout the season.
The 3-4-2-1 setup that they typically use is something that could be effective in this particular match due to the contrast of their opponents, as the hosts should have plenty of options out wide.
Junior Marabel is one of only two players who have scored a goal in General Caballero JLM's previous eight, and that should guarantee him a place in the starting lineup.
He will likely be partnered by Clementino Gonzalez as the visitors tend to play a classic 4-4-2 formation in a bid to provide as much structure as possible.
Deportivo La Guaira possible starting lineup:
Olses; La Mantia, Ramos, Aramburu Mejias; Cumana, Flores, Garcia Segura, Silva Guzman; Rivas, Herrera; Bolivar
General Caballero JLM possible starting lineup:
Jara; Romero Galeano, Lezcano Olmedo, Barreto Viera, Mareco Colman; Heinze, Rodriguez, Martinez Gonzalez, Hauche; Marabel, Gonzalez
We say: Deportivo La Guaira 2-0 General Caballero JLM
Neither of these teams is in particularly strong form this season, which is why they are both set to exit this tournament following Thursday's outing.
However, considering the fact that General Caballero have only scored twice in their previous eight, they could find this to be a struggle.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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