The decisive stage of the South American tournaments is already here, but before knowing the finalists of both tournaments, there is still a phase to be drawn, which begins this week in both competitions.
Undoubtedly, the Copa Libertadores takes most of the spotlight, due to its relevance in the world of soccer and for factors that have to do with one of the contenders. The first semifinal will be held in Belo Horizonte, with Atlético Mineiro playing host to River Plate. Just one day later, Botafogo and Peñarol will face each other in an electric series that promises to spark sparks and leave many surprises along the way.
The first semifinal will be a duel between champions of previous editions, and will be the fifth meeting between these rivals, with a more than positive balance for Atlético Mineiro, who have won three times to only one win for Millonarios.
One fact to consider is that both coaches have a negative record against the opponents they will face. On the one hand, we have Gabriel Milito, the Mineiro coach who has lost six of the eleven games played against River. Meanwhile, Marcelo Gallardo has lost in his two games coached against Atlético Mineiro in his capacity as River Plate manager.
As if that were not enough, both clubs have good credentials to win, particularly because of some of their players who have had some outstanding individual performances. For Mineiro we have Paulinho and Gustavo Scarpa (six goals and four assists, respectively), while Miguel Borja and his six goals will try to give River Plate a run for its money in the first leg at least.
Winning this match will not be easy, given that both teams will have significant absentees for the first leg. On the home side, Matías Zaracho, Cadú and Bernard will miss the game due to injury. Meanwhile, Agustín Sant'Anna and Rodrigo Aliendro will watch this match from the stands due to knee and shoulder problems, respectively.
None of these facts weighs more heavily on the minds of Argentine fans than knowing where the final will be played, as no team under the current format has hosted the final, which would be the case for River Plate if they can find a way to beat their Brazilian nemesis.
A day later we will have one of the most consistent Brazilian teams of the year facing what could very well be considered the surprise of the tournament. It is prudent to say that, before the cup started, nobody had considered Peñarol as a possible title contender, but an impressive defensive order and the excellent performances of goalkeeper Washington Aguerre and Leo Fernández have them on the verge of the title duel.
In addition to those already mentioned, Peñarol also bases its offensive play on what Maximiliano Silvera, the team's top scorer in the tournament with six goals, and one of those mainly responsible for getting the team to this stage, can do.
On the other hand, the home team for the first leg has been gradually gaining in reputation for this edition of the competition, as their Brasileirao campaign has left no doubt as to the ability of Artur Jorge's men. O Galo has two of the most consistent players of the tournament in Júnior Santos and Tiquinho Soares. The former has become the tournament's top scorer with nine goals so far, while Tiquinho has contributed four assists, which have kept the Brazilian team in the fight for the championship.
Although Botafogo is considered a favorite due to its recent performance, Artur Jorge's team will have to overcome several absences, starting with the absence of Jeffinho, Rafael and Pablo due to injury. In addition, Roberto "Gatito" Fernandez will not be available after being sent off in the second leg against Sao Paulo. This will only be the third game between these two teams, with a positive balance for Botafogo of one win and one draw, although these games took place in 1973.
📆🏆 The CONMEBOL #Libertadores semifinals are coming!
🔝 The agenda of the week@amstelargentina | #Amstel #OfficialBeer#GloriaEterna pic.twitter.com/qbC0Y6HRQm
- CONMEBOL Libertadores (@Libertadores) October 21, 2024
Copa Sudamericana - Four clubs fight for "the other half of the glory".
The other continental club tournament held in South America is also experiencing key moments, as two clubs from Brazil and two more from Argentina are already involved in the fight for the championship. Racing Club de Avellaneda is the favorite in one of the series against Corinthians, while the other key has Lanús and Cruzeiro as protagonists. Of these clubs, only Lanús has managed to win this title in the past, so the possibility of seeing a new champion in this competition is more present than ever.
The first match to be played this week will take place in Belo Horizonte, where Cruzeiro will do the honors against Lanús. The locals will base their game on the skills of Matheus Pereira and Kaio Jorge, both with two goals in the tournament, but with Pereira also contributing two assists. "The Black Beast" got into this phase with some drama, as after eliminating Boca in the round of 16, they rescued a draw in the second leg against Libertad with some problems, but which eventually gave Fernando Diniz's side a place in the semifinal round.
Meanwhile, Lanús arrives with more doubts than their opponents, as although they dispatched Liga de Quito without any problems in the Round of 16, their quarter-final series against Independiente Medellín was decided on penalties. El Granate's progress in the Copa Sudamericana has been made easier by Walter Bou, whose seven goals have made him Ricardo Zielinski's team's biggest attacking threat. Marcelino Moreno has also been key for the Argentines in the competition, with four assists and two goals in the tournament, one of them key to eliminating Liga de Quito.
However, this series could be marked by injuries. At the moment, a starting eleven could be made with all the players who are not available. Cruzeiro has five absentees due to injury (Rafa Silva, Japa, Matheus Henrique, Vitinho and Juan Dinenno), in addition to the suspended Lucas Romero. Meanwhile, the visitors will be without Nicolás Morgantini, Nery Domínguez, Ezequiel Muñoz, Leonardo Jara, Abel Luciatti and Raúl Loaiza, all of whom are dealing with physical problems. With this in mind, the first ever duel between these clubs promises to be quite interesting.
One day later, Ramón Ángel Díaz's Corinthians will face Racing Club, in a match with history and unfinished business between the two teams. The Argentinian team comes into this duel as a serious contender for the Sudamericana title, while Corinthians seeks to bring glory to its fans in this tournament after a fateful season in the Brasileirao, where they have spent the whole season flirting with relegation.
Timao counts Yuri Alberto as one of its most important players, considering the six goals scored by the Brazilian center forward. Other players such as Angel Romero (three goals and three assists) and Igor Coronado (three goals and two assists) should also play a key role in what happens this Wednesday at the Arena Neo Química.
The visiting team will be looking to keep up the good pace in the tournament after their good results, especially in their second leg against Athletico Paranaense. Gustavo Costas' team has only lost two games in this tournament, but both of those defeats have taken place on Brazilian soil, so they will have to be careful when they take the field on Thursday. Racing will depend heavily on Adrián Martínez, the top scorer in this year's Sudamericana with nine goals, to avoid another defeat.
Similar to what happens in the other semifinal, this match may also be defined by absences. Corinthians will receive its Argentinean counterpart with the absence of Maycon, Diego Palacios, Ruan Oliveira and Ryan, in addition to the unavailability of Héctor Hernández due to administrative issues. For Racing, there is no doubt that the most important absentee would be Roger Martínez, who would have to watch the game from the stands along with Gabriel Rojas, Marco Di Césare and Santiago Quirós.
This will be the seventh match between these clubs, with Racing having won twice over Corinthians, which has only won once against its Argentinean counterpart, curiously the most recent win between the two teams and after three draws in a row.
📆🏆 Semifinal week! First leg matches are coming up in the CONMEBOL #Sudamericana. #LaGranConquista pic.twitter.com/ishuYsykPf
- CONMEBOL Sudamericana (@Sudamericana) October 21, 2024
Copa Libertadores - Predictions and lines for the first leg of the semifinals
Considering that they go into this game at home, Atlético Mineiro (+145) is the favorite over River Plate (+291), leaving a draw (+166) as an interesting option.
In the other semifinal, Botafogo (-249) is the clear favorite over Peñarol (+853). A draw is the second best option for bettors (+331), although it seems that home advantage will play in favor of the Brazilian team.
Copa Sudamericana - Predictions and lines for the first leg of the semifinals
The Cruzeiro and Lanús key marks the locals as favorites for this game, with -147. The second option for this game is a draw (+260), while Lanús' options are not so high, considering the +460 that marks the line for the Argentine team.
The other match has a similar line, with Corinthians as favorite with -108 in the prediction, while the draw is +240. Despite Racing's great campaign in this tournament, their recent visit to Brazil has them as underdogs with the line for the win at +310.
Remember that all lines are dynamic and can change once you decide to place your bet.
