Fortaleza left good impressions on their international debut but they ended up losing 1-0 at Independiente in a hard-fought game. Last Saturday, coach Rogerio Ceni fielded a mixed XI and the team lost 2-0 at third-tier side Confianca, which means they managed eight points in the first five rounds of the Copa do Nordeste. O Leao lost only two of their last 15 competitive matches (nine wins and four draws) and they also are unbeaten in the last nine at home (winning seven of them).
Independiente took a narrow lead thanks to Leandro Fernandez’s strike when beating Fortaleza 1-0 at home, but the side is facing trouble in general terms. Last Saturday, they lost 1-0 at their own stadium to relegation candidates Gimnasia LP, which means El Rojo are languishing in 15th place of the Superliga table on 26 points – an unacceptable campaign for them. Independiente hasn’t claimed any victories in their last three away matches (two draws and one defeat) without even scoring.
Fortaleza should show their home strength to extend Independiente’s crisis and win this game.