Univer. Cat. vs Est. La Plata Prediction 19 August 2026

Universidad Católica had a very strong group stage in the Copa Libertadores. The team were drawn into a tough group with Boca Juniors and Cruzeiro, but managed to collect 13 points and advance to the knockout rounds in first place. That result surprised many, but the Chileans clearly have no intention of stopping there, as the first match against Estudiantes confirmed. In terms of play, Universidad Católica certainly deserved to lose. The team were outshot 4:17, had 1:5 shots on target, lost the corners 1:11, and their xG was just 0.30 against 2.73 for the opposition. On top of that, the Chileans conceded as early as the fourth minute. Yet the team kept their composure until the very end and managed to equalise on the 80th minute. The game is forgotten, the result remains - in that sense, the coaching staff's plan worked out perfectly.

In the domestic league, Universidad Católica are also performing well and sit in third place. Last weekend the team did not play, so they had extra time to recover before the Copa Libertadores return leg. After such a physically demanding match in Argentina, that could prove to be an important advantage.

Estudiantes La Plata's last official match was played on in the Argentine Premier Division, where they beat Gimnasia y Esgrima 4-0 at home.

The match stats were as follows (Estudiantes La Plata vs Gimnasia y Esgrima):

• possession: 77% vs 23%;
• corners: 7 vs 2;
• fouls: 14 vs 15;
• yellow cards: 2 vs 3;
• shots on target: 8 vs 3.

Estudiantes La Plata fans would surely like to forget the result of the first match against the Chilean side as quickly as possible. In terms of play, the Argentine team could have secured a comfortable win: they created a huge number of chances and barely allowed their opponents to threaten their goal, yet they head to Santiago with a draw.

And playing in Chile is extremely difficult for all foreign clubs, so Estudiantes needed to win at home no matter what. However, last weekend the Argentines thrashed Gimnasia y Esgrima, which should add confidence ahead of the decisive match for a place in the quarterfinals.