2023-10-04 02:10:56
He Porto Alegre International and Rio de Janeiro Fluminense face each other this Wednesday in a life or death match between two Brazilian teams that will define the first finalist of the 2023 Copa Libertadores.
Both teams only have victory following the exciting draw (2-2) they signed last week at the Maracaná in Rio de Janeiro, which will be the venue for the final on November 4. The duel begins at 9:30 pm.
Whoever emerges victorious from the Beira-Rio battle, where a packed house is expected, with the presence of 50,000 Colorado fans, will fight for the continental title once morest the winner of the key between Palmeiras and Boca Juniors.
A new tie will take the tie to the penalty spot.
The Porto Alegre team, whom no one expected in these semifinals, He hopes to become strong at home and keep alive the dream of winning his third Libertadores, following the titles won in 2006 and 2010.
The Inter coach, the Argentine Eduardo Coudet, has practically the entire cast at his disposal: among them the Chilean midfielder Charles Aránguiz.
He is also expected to keep Hugo Mallo at right back. The Spaniard was key in the first leg by scoring one of the goals and neutralizing the attacks of Keno and Marcelo, a former Real Madrid player who will start on Wednesday.
Uruguayan goalkeeper Sergio Rochet, who has been suffering from lumbar pain, and midfielder Johnny, fresh from an ankle injury, rested over the weekend and are also scheduled to start for Inter’s most important match of the last decade.
Fluminense is presented with the loss of right back Samuel Xavier, sent off at the Maracaná. Guga is the best positioned to replace him.
Center back David Braz has also not traveled to Porto Alegre due to a sprained knee.
The team from Rio de Janeiro, runners-up in 2008, arrives ready not to repeat the mistakes of the first round, in which they started a draw with the flavor of victory following playing numerically inferior throughout the second half.
“We are close to the final, but at the same time far away because we have Internacional in front of us. There will be a lot of struggle and a lot of battle,” promised the experienced Felipe Melo.
The midfielder converted to center back stated that they have studied Coudet’s squad a lot and, in that sense, they hope to advance to the final by giving a lesson in “punch and humility.”
“Internacional is a great club and we have to be careful with its entire team,” he warned.
And La Libertadores is the last great asset of the two teams to save the season.
All energies are focused on the most prestigious club tournament in America and proof of this is that both Inter and ‘Flu’ reserved the majority of their starters for the weekend in the Brazilian League and were defeated resoundingly.
Coudet’s team lost at home once morest Atlético Mineiro (0-2) and Diniz’s team were beaten by Cuiabá (3-0). Only the Maracaná final matters.
Probable lineups
International: Sergio Rochet, Hugo Mallo, Vitão, Gabriel Mercado, Renê; Johnny, Mauricio, Charles Aránguiz, Wanderson; Alan Patrick and Enner Valencia.
Fluminense: Fabio; Guga, Nino, Felipe Melo, Marcelo; André, Alexsander, Paulo Henrique Ganso; Jhon Arias, Keno and Germán Cano.
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