Internacional remains perfect in the Group A with six points following a 2-0 home victory over Alianza Lima from Peru three weeks ago, with Nicolas Lopez scoring twice. A win here will almost secure the team’s ticket to the round-of-16. Last Sunday, coach Odair Hellmann picked a mostly alternative XI, but the team beat fourth-tier side Caxias 2-1 away in the first leg of the Rio Grande do Sul State Championship’s semi-finals. Inter made it three wins in their last four competitive games (along with one defeat). A 1-0 defeat to non-league side Novo Hamburgo on March 27th stopped their five-game winning streak at home.
Defending champions River Plate are second-placed on just two points after a scoreless home draw with Chilean side Palestino. The team have qualified for the 2020 Copa Libertadores last Saturday when beating Talleres 2-0 away. With one league game to go, they accumulated 45 points and will end up in fourth. El Millonario is on 12 matches without defeat in all competitions, winning eight and drawing four. On away turf, River hasn’t lost any of the last eight games, with four victories in that spell.
A hard-fought clash between two strong sides. River Plate seems slightly better, and even though they will have a few important missings like goalkeeper Franco Armani and midfielder Juan Fernando Quintero, I think they should still be able to take something from this game.