Atletico Nacional (Colombia) vs Racing (Argentina)
Atletico Nacional played one of their worst games of the year in the Copa Libertadores’ week six, when losing 1-0 to Patronato at home. However, they still were able to hold onto second spot of the group H table on ten points, trailing leaders Olimpia by four. Last Friday, they managed to beat Jaguares de Cordoba 2-1 at home and made it four points from six available in the Colombian Torneo Finalizacion. In fact, El Verde de la Montana are on three matches unbeaten in all competitions, winning three and drawing one. At home, they succumbed to a single defeat across the last ten, along with seven victories and three stalemates.
Racing Club found it easy to secure a solid 4-0 home victory over CD Nublense in round six to clinch the first place of the group A table on 13 points, two above Brazil’s Flamengo. On Friday, La Academia lost 2-1 away at River Plate, which means they ended up in 12th spot of the Liga Profesional on 36 points after 27 rounds. That defeat stopped La Academia’s impressive streak of ten competitive matches unbeaten (five victories and five draws). On away turf, Racing claimed a single victory across the last six, drawing three and losing two in that time.
Even if this Nacional are not as strong as they used to be a few years ago, I think that they should have enough to win at home against a Racing that won’t have some of their new names (colombian playmaker Juanfer Quintero the most important one that stayed in Buenos Aires).