Four strong candidates for the Copa Libertadores title
The knockout stage of the Copa Libertadores, South America’s largest club championship, begins this week with several intriguing matches. Tuesday’s matches pit the reigning champions Estudiantes de La Plata against San Luis of Mexico and fellow Argentines Velez Sarsfield against the always deadly Chivas de Guadalajara of Mexico. The all-Brazilian duel between rivals Corinthians and Flamengo, with the first leg taking place in the 100,000-seat Maracana stadium on Wednesday, is without a question the cream of the lot for fans.
We analyze each of the eight games and predict which clubs will advance to the quarterfinals.
Flamengo vs Corinthians
Although Flamengo was one of the toughest teams in the league, Corinthians ended the group stage as the top-ranked team, earning 16 of the 18 points available. Due to the star power involved (Brazilian superstars Adriano and Ronaldo will face off), as well as the fact that both sides have a lot to prove, the all-Brazilian encounter is predicted to be one of the most fervent games of the knockout round. Flamengo has only ever won the Copa Libertadores once (in 1981), but Corinthians have never claimed the trophy, and for a club of their stature, this trophy just cannot be missing from their trophy case. In a confrontation that unquestionably cannot be missed, expect fireworks.
The pick: Corinthians
Alianza Lima vs Universidad de Chile
Even though it’s arguably the least appealing matchup of the round, football fans can expect to watch thrilling play between two clubs that shocked many on the group stage. Universidad de Chile enters the match as the favorite based on their history, but they will need to play at the top of their game to defeat a strong Alianza Lima team that wants to restore Peru’s honor after several years of failure. Wilmer Aguirre, 26, who scored a brilliant hat-trick in Alianza’s 4-1 thrashing of reigning champions Estudiantes in February, is one of the most productive attackers in the league. Alianza has shown a lot of grit up to this point.
The pick: U de Chile
Guadalajara vs Velez Sarsfield
Chivas was given automatic qualifying by CONMEBOL despite being excluded from the competition last year due to the swine flu outbreak, and they now join the tournament in the round of 16 stage. Due to obligations to the Mexican national team, the Goats will be without a handful of its important players, which should hurt their chances of moving on. No Mexican team has ever won the Libertadores, and even though Chivas will be at a disadvantage against a Velez squad they have previously eliminated, they still like their chances. Velez, the Group 7 champions, are among the most dangerous teams in the competition, in part because of the prolific scoring of its Uruguayan strikers, Santiago Silva and Rodrigo Lopez, who have combined for seven goals.
The pick: Velez
Once Caldas vs Libertad
In 2004, Caldas won their first Copa Libertadores championship after defeating Boca Juniors on penalties. The Unfashionable team from Manizales, Colombia, returned to the highest tier of South American football and showed that they will once again be difficult to beat after competing well in the group round when they were barely edged out by Brazilian powerhouse Sao Paulo for first place. Even though Libertad is one of the competition’s best-organized teams, One will think they can beat them. Although they lack quality in some parts of the field, Libertad is often a reliable team, and their dedication may be what separates them from the competition and enable them to advance.
The pick: Once Caldas
Universitario vs Sao Paulo
Three times successful Sao Paulo was given the easiest match-up of the bunch, but Peruvian teams have demonstrated that they aren’t going to continue to be the continent’s slackers and are committed to making it to the championship rounds of the league. Universitario, which went undefeated in the group stage with two victories and four draws, will approach their encounter against Sao Paulo as though it were the championship game itself. Despite having a small team, they are unlikely to match the Brazilians’ strength. Sao Paulo is keen to regain its place at the top of South American football and has the strength to do it this season. If players like Hernanes, Dagoberto, Miranda, and Washington play at the top of their game, Universitario will be easily defeated.
The pick: Sao Paulo
Cruzeiro vs Nacional
Nacional and Cruzeiro square off in the most historic matchup of the round of 16 stages; the two teams have a combined five Copa Libertadores championships. Cruzeiro kept the core of the team that advanced to the competition’s final last year, but they also added a ton of talent to it. They showed this by putting on several impressive performances in the first round, including thrashing wins over Velez, Colo Colo, and Deportivo Italia (Cruzeiro has the highest goal total in the competition with 20 goals in eight games). Nacional may not have been as productive at scoring goals, but they are still a threat and were undefeated in the group stage. The Uruguayan team’s never-say-die mentality, which is typical of Uruguayan teams, may boost Los Tricolores’ chances of defeating the Brazilians despite their lack of depth in several areas.
The pick: Cruzeiro
San Luis vs Estudiantes
After a sluggish start to the campaign, defending champions Estudiantes proved their strength with a series of successful outcomes. Estudiantes is aiming to win what would be a fifth Copa Libertadores. Los Pincharratas, inspired by captain Juan Sebastian Veron, is by much the favorites to defeat San Luis, who, like their Mexican rivals Chivas, had already secured a spot in the knockout round. Despite having everything in their favor to go to the quarterfinals and being on track to win the Argentine Clausura championship, Estudiantes must be wary of what might be a formidable challenge from a determined Mexican team.
The pick: Estudiantes
Banfield vs Internacional
Banfield has a lot of pressure to live up to as Argentina’s champions, but the Taladro have so far not disappointed their supporters. Banfield has remained a formidable team despite the loss of last year’s leading scorer Silva (the Uruguayan returned to Velez), but they are aware that they must perform at the top of their game to defeat a motivated Internacional. The Colorado, who had a sluggish start in the tournament, has shown that, if their stars can come together, they can be one of the continent’s most lethal teams. Inter was propelled into the round of 16 by Argentine midfielders Andres D’Alessandro and Pablo Guinazu, and if they maintain their concentration on the task at hand, they might recreate their historic title run from 2006.
Loading ...
