River Plate and Palmeiras, two candidates firm for the crown, opened the first chapter of the most attractive key to the Copa Libertadores at the monumental stadium on Wednesday, where the millionaires will try to mark the course against more than 80,000 fans.
It will be a duel between two multiple champions: River Beat for the last time in 2018, while Palmeiras celebrated in 2020 and 2021, like a spearhead of the Brazilian domain in the cut during the last six seasons.
But the two have experienced great performances in recent years and have also faced the hand with a history favorable to the Paulista team, which eliminated Argentines in the semi-final of 1999 and 2020.
Point in the local tournament of Clausura and installed in the rooms of the Argentine Cup, the Cruzada Red Band team faces three competitions in the last section of the year, although the central axis is, of course, eternal glory.
River arrives at this confident meeting, without losing since June, when he fell to Inter Milan in the first round of the Club World Cup, and undefeated in Libertadores, although he suffered more than the story in the end of 16 years to look at sanctions with Paraguayan freedom.
Coach Marcelo Gallardo, Covero champion in 2015 and 2018 and finalist in 2019, has planned a “closed” series against a rival which has the most expensive payroll in America, according to the specialized portal.
His men were closest to grasp the knees of the Brazilian teams of the Libertadores, who dominated their wide with seven of the last ten trophies in their windows.
“When two teams like River and Palmeiras are measured, they also think of our potential. It is to play with great intelligence,” said the doll.
River had problems throughout the year to get a trusted striker, a problem that seems to be solved with the hiring of Maxi Salas, who would be released in the Cup against Verdão.
“They defend themselves very well and are a physically solid team. They don’t need a lot of play to convert the goals. It is a direct team, which with their attackers can generate a danger,” warned Gallardo.
Palmeiras also has liberators in views. And students from Portuguese Abel Ferreira Land in Buenos Aires with a highly competitive curriculum vitae: only a perfect team in the group of groups and a comfortable transit by eighth (Global 4-0 against the University of Peru).
In Brazilian, he has ten games in a row without losing and is third, four points from the Flamengo chief and with a match less, and with great confidence after having crushed on Saturday 4-1 at the Inter of Porto Alegre.
“From the outside, I have always had the image of Palmeiras as a team which turns into libertadores. In a short time that I am here, I see the importance of this championship for Palmeiras, it has a particular flavor, something more,” said the wheel Lucas Evangelista, one of the reinforcements of Palmeirenian to go for the title.
In the monumental (local 9:30 p.m., 00:30 GMT Thursday), the brand new strengthening of the Paulists, the Brazilian midfielder Andreas Pereira, signed by the English Fulham, could also have his international international.
Reprisals will be played next Wednesday in Brazil. The winner will cross in the semi-finals with the winner of the series between Sao Paulo and Liga de Quito.
Possible training:
River: Franco Armani – Gonzalo Montiel, Paulo Díaz, Lucas Martínez Quarta or Lautaro Rivero, Marcos Acuña – Kevin Castaño, Enzo Pérez, Nacho Fernández – Juanfer Quintero or Juan Portillo – Maxi Salas, Sebastián Driussi. DT: Marcelo Gallardo.
Palmeiras: Weverton – Khellven the Agustín Giay, Gustavo Gómez, Murilo, Joaquin Piquerez – Aníbal Moreno, Lucas Evangelista, Maurício o Andreas Pereira – Felipe Anderson, José Manuel López, Vitor Roque. DT: Abel Ferreira.
Referee: Jesús Valenzuela (Ven).
