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Racing Club and Cruzeiro meet at General Pablo Rojas in Asuncion on Saturday for the final of the CONMEBOL Copa Sudamericana. The Argentinians fought back to beat Corinthians 4-3 in the semi-finals, while the Brazilians narrowly defeated Lanus 1-0 to advance 2-1 over two legs.
Racing Club will make their first appearance in a continental final since the 1989 Recopa Sudamericana, which they lost 1-0 to Nacional of Uruguay. Gustavo Costas’ men are in good form with five straight wins in all competitions and a win here would secure a first CONMEBOL title since the 1967 Copa Libertadores.
The last Argentine side to win the Copa Sudamericana was Defensa y Justicia in 2020, while Racing have not lost at home to Brazilian opponents this edition. However, Cruzeiro defeated Lanus in Buenos Aires to get here and was able to challenge that record.
Fernando Diniz has never lost in a CONMEBOL final at club level, with Fluminense winning the Copa Libertadores a year ago and the 2024 Recopa Sudamericana. However, Cruzeiro have lost two of their last three matches in all competitions.
Having conceded just one goal in six of Sudamericana’s away games, a 1-0 defeat to Boca Juniors in the round of 16 is their only defeat on the road. Brazilian sides have lost the last two Sudamericana finals, while Athletico Paranaense were the latest to break the trend in 2021, and Cruzeiro’s last continental success came in 1997 at the Copa Libertadores.
Here are our storylines, how to watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
- Date: Saturday November 23 | Time: 3:00 PM ET
- Location: Estadio General Pablo Rojas – Asuncion, Paraguay
- Watch: beIN Sports | Current: Fubo (try for free)
- Chances: Racing +138; Sign +206; Cruzeiro +208
How they got here
Racing topped Group H with five wins from six and just one defeat for the top seed, before beating Chile’s Huachipato 8–1 on aggregate in the round of 16. It then defeated Brazil’s Athletico Paranaense 4-2 over two legs in the quarter-finals before taking the lead. Corinthians 4-3 in the semi-final to get here. Cruzeiro topped Group B with three wins and three draws from six for seventh of eight seeds before needing penalties to oust Boca Juniors in the round of 16 after a 2-2 draw over two legs. A 3-1 win over Paraguay’s Libertad in the quarter-finals followed, followed by the 2-1 win against Lanus in the semi-finals that bookended this date.
Team news
Racing: Roger Martinez and Santiago Solari came in last time out, but they are unlikely to start ahead of Maximiliano Salas and the tournament’s joint top scorer Adrian Martinez. Juan Fernando Quintero’s brace took them this far and he should also start just behind the front two.
Possible racing XI: Arias; Martirena, Di Cesare, Garcia Basso, Rojas; Almendra, Sosa, Nardoni; Quintero, A. Martinez, Salas.
Cruzeiro: Rafa Silva is injured and likely to miss, while Gabriel Veron, Matheus Pereira and Kaio Jorge were eligible despite the domestic ban last weekend. Jorge was the hero of the semi-final, while Cassio kept his second clean sheet in the competition to get here and both will also start.
Possible Cruzeiro XI: Cassio; William, Marcelo, Villalba, Xavier; Romero, Wallace; Veron, Pereira, Diaz; Jorge.
Prediction
It should be tight, but something has to give, so don’t be surprised if Racing makes it a goal despite Cruzeiro’s solid defense. Choose: Racing2, Cruzeiro1.