International
2022-06-07 - Grenada vs El Salvador
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: CONCACAF Nations League A
Tuesday 7th June 2022 - Kick Off 7pm
12am British Time
Preview
The inaugural CONCACAF Nations League was played a couple of years ago as the UEFA format has begun to take hold around the world. At the time, the top five teams were all given direct entry into League A with those teams being determined by being involved in the final round of Qualifiers for the last World Cup, but the rest of the Confederation were Ranked after four games to determine their places.
Both El Salvador and Grenada were placed in League B, although it was more of a surprise to see El Salvador outside of the top League in the Nations League. They made short work of their Group to earn promotion, while Grenada benefited from what looked a weak section in League B to also make their way up into League A.
These two teams are outsiders to the defending Champions the United States in the Group, but there is plenty to gain from the head to head as they look to avoid an immediate demotion back into League B.
Grenada are the lowest Ranked team in the CONCACAF Ranking that are playing in League A this season and that was perhaps underlined by their 3-1 defeat at El Salvador in the opening match a few days ago. They have not won any of their last 8 games in all competitions and the sole exception in that run saw Grenada play out a goalless draw with European minnows Gibraltar.
In their last Nations League Group, Grenada won 4 of 6 games in their section to top French Guiana, Belize and Saint Kitts and Nevis. Grenada did win all 3 home Group games in the Nations League and they had won 5 in a row at home before the 1-2 defeat to Montserrat twelve months ago.
The comfortable loss in El Salvador will have underlined the kind of gap that Grenada will have to bridge here, although their hosts had been in poor form prior to that. El Salvador had won 1 of 14 games in all competitions before the win in this Nations League Group, and they had lost 3 in a row, but they had shown they are above the kind of level they are facing on Tuesday.
They had won 2 of 3 away Nations League games in their last Group and El Salvador had won at Honduras and drawn in Jamaica before the loss to Mexico in their recent away games.
Grenada and El Salvador are meeting for the third time in a fifteen month period and both previous games have been won by two goal margins by the higher Ranked nation.
Prediction
It will be a big upset if defending Champions the United States are not able to top this Nations League Group, but El Salvador can essentially confirm their place in League A with another victory over Grenada.
A few days ago El Salvador beat Grenada 3-1 at home and while they are not the best travellers, El Salvador tend to play higher opponents than the one they will be seeing in this Nations League game.
Grenada have been in miserable form themselves and moving up from League B might be a step too far for the nation.
They have lost 7 of 8 games heading into Match Day 2 of the Nations League and I think El Salvador will have enough to beat them for a third time in fifteen months. Both previous wins have been at home, but El Salvador should have the quality to secure another three points even when playing away from those comforts.
The Pick :
Grenada 0-2 El Salvador
