12 de Octubre v Cerro Porteño

The basement club 12 de Octubre welcome joint Paraguayan Primera A leaders Cerro Porteño to Itauguá having lost the last five meetings to the azulgrana. Everything would point towards another routine victory for the joint league leaders who see key players returning for the trip. 

The home side have struggled in all departments this season, they have scored the least goals (8 in 11 games) and only General Caballero (20) have conceded more than their 19 goals. However, a 1-0 win over Resistencia in midweek has kept them just outside of the relegation standings for now. It meant new coach Héctor Marecos got his first victory in charge of the side but also ended a run of six consecutive defeats. 

Cerro Porteño are unbeaten in five but have drawn three of those matches, letting leads slip in the 87^th, 95^th and 94^th minutes. Arce has called it a “strange coincidence” in the press, but internally must be livid that his team have given up six points that could see them running away with the title. Playmaker Claudio Aquino has returned following illness and was seen in training on Friday, although it is unknown if he is fit enough to start.  In some respects he hasn’t been missed, the last seven Cerro goals have come from different players as the whole team contributes something to attack. Aquino himself hasn’t scored since May but it is worth remembering the Argentinian came into his own from October onwards in the 2021 Clausura, firing El Ciclón to the title. 

The visitors will be expected to win, but they rarely win big – their last seven away games have gone Under 2.5 goals and we can expect something similar here.

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