The penultimate round of the 2022 Peruvian Primera Division Apertura gets underway on Friday night, with Universidad Tecnica de Cajamarca hosting Carlos A. Mannucci.
The two sides are separated by just three points in the table, with eleventh-place UTC leading fourteenth-place Mannucci.
Enfocados en nuestro siguiente objetivo 💪🔝🔥¡Siempre contigo, Gavilán!#TradiciónQueAlienta pic.twitter.com/DodYR1bXeR— UTC PAGINA OFICIAL (@UTC_PagOficial) June 21, 2022
Enfocados en nuestro siguiente objetivo 💪🔝🔥¡Siempre contigo, Gavilán!#TradiciónQueAlienta pic.twitter.com/DodYR1bXeR
UTC are unable to finish in the top five, although they are safe from relegation. On the flip side, Mannucci are still in danger of dropping into the bottom three.
Mannucci have managed to win just four of their 16 Apertura clashes, recording five draws and seven losses along the way.
It is no surprise that Mannucci remain in contention for relegation, given that only two sides have scored fewer goals in Peru’s top tier this term.
That said, it is worth noting that Mannucci are currently enjoying a six-game unbeaten streak – having secured two wins and four draws since their last loss.
Mannucci have only managed to win two of their previous 11 away league outings, though, suggesting that they could struggled to get the better of UTC.
As for UTC, they have won six of their 16 Apertura encounters – registering two draws and eight defeats in the process.
Only two teams have recorded fewer draws than UTC this term, while just five sides have suffered more losses.
Having netted 28 goals this season, UTC are the fourth-highest scorers in the division. However, they also have one of the worst defensive records – with 29 goals in the goals against column.
Not only have UTC won each of their last three home league games, but they have also avoided defeat in nine of their previous ten.
Head-to-head: UTC are currently enjoying a four-game unbeaten run against Mannucci. When you look at the bigger picture, Mannucci have won just one of the past six meetings.
Four of the previous five clashes between UTC and Mannucci have produced over 2.5 goals, so we should see a high-scoring encounter on Friday.
Team news: UTC will be without Robin Wildhaber on Friday as the winger continues to recover from a knee injury.
Meanwhile, Mannucci right-back Carlos Neyra will be unavailable for the trip to Cajamarca due to injury.
Although UTC know where the back of their opponents’ net is, they often struggle to keep the ball out of their own net.
With that in mind, Forebet predicts that UTC and Mannucci will play out a high-scoring draw on Friday – with both teams netting over 1.5 goals.