La Nueva Olla will be the stage this Monday for a clash with an unequal sense of urgency: Cerro Porteño, sitting in eighth place, hosts 2 de Mayo who are fourth and still dream of fighting for the privileged positions of the Paraguayan championship. With twelve matchdays played and the tournament entering its decisive stretch, both teams arrive with the obligation to earn three points to not lose ground with respect to the top, occupied by Olimpia.
How Cerro Porteño arrives
The Cyclone has 17 points in 12 matches, the product of 5 wins, 2 draws and 5 losses, with a balance of 15 goals for and 12 against. Those numbers leave them in eighth place, five units behind the fourth place that their rival currently occupies.
In their last five commitments, Cerro Porteño showed a face of ups and downs: victory over Deportivo Recoleta (3-1), triumph against Nacional Asunción (1-0), draw as visitors against Guaraní (1-1), another win against Rubio Ñú (1-0) and, in the most recent matchday, a 2-1 defeat in their visit to Sportivo Trinidense. That streak yields 10 points from a possible 15, a figure that invites optimism despite the final stumble.
How 2 de Mayo arrives
The visiting side boasts a more solid campaign on paper: 22 points, with 6 wins, 4 draws and just 2 losses in their 12 appearances, plus a scoring record of 14 goals for and 13 against. That goal difference of +1 contrasts with the +3 that Cerro exhibits, although the standings smile more favorably on the 2 de Mayo team.
However, their recent form has not been as solid. In the last five matches they accumulated just 5 points out of 15 possible: 0-2 draw in a defeat to Libertad, 3-0 loss against Nacional Asunción, 2-2 draw against Rubio Ñú, 2-1 victory over Sportivo San Lorenzo and another draw, 2-2, against Sportivo Luqueño. A sequence that keeps them expectant but without the punch of other stages of the championship.
The standings and what's at stake
The top of the Paraguayan First Division looks tight: Olimpia leads with 25 points, followed by Libertad (23), Nacional Asunción (22) and 2 de Mayo, also with 22 points but in fourth place by goal difference. Cerro Porteño, on the other hand, is in eighth place with 17 points, just behind Sportivo Ameliano (18) and three units behind Guaraní and Sportivo Trinidense, both with 20.
For 2 de Mayo, a victory at La Nueva Olla could bring them even closer to the fight for first place, even closing the gap with Nacional Asunción and Libertad. For Cerro Porteño, on the other hand, the objective is different but equally urgent: a win would allow them to climb positions and narrow the five-point gap that currently separates them from the qualifying spots for international tournaments, depending on how other results from the matchday play out.
Our take
If one compares the recent performance of both, the scale tips slightly toward the home side: Cerro Porteño earned twice as many points as 2 de Mayo in their last five matches (10 against 5), which suggests a team in better emotional form despite occupying a lower position in the overall table.
There is also a fact that stands out in the offensive aspect: Cerro Porteño averages 1.25 goals per match so far in the tournament, slightly higher than 2 de Mayo's 1.17, although the latter has been more regular in the tournament accumulating more points overall. We believe that contrast between the overall table and recent form can make this match an even contest, where the home side, playing at home, has strong arguments to take all three points and close the gap in the standings.
Time and where to follow it
The match between Cerro Porteño and 2 de Mayo will be played at Estadio Ueno La Nueva Olla with the following times depending on the country: Spain, Tuesday October 6 at 00:15; Mexico, Monday October 5 at 16:15; Colombia and Peru, Monday October 5 at 17:15; United States (New York and Miami), Monday October 5 at 18:15; Argentina, Monday October 5 at 19:15; and Los Angeles, Monday October 5 at 15:15.
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