Independiente will fight for their third Copa Sudamericana title (they were crowned in 2010 and 2017) after finishing Argentine 2017/18 league season in the sixth spot. Heading back to the present, they beat Velez Sarsfield 2-1 at home last Saturday to keep sitting in seventh on 35 points. The team are slightly improving after a deep crisis, having won three of their last four games in all competitions, along with a single defeat. At home in 2019, they booked three victories, one draw and one loss in the city derby against Racing Club.
Founded in 2010, Deportivo Binacional will make their international debut. Last year, they ended up in eighth place in their first-ever top-flight campaign. At the moment, they are performing an excellent performance in the league: Binacional beat Universitario 4-2 at home, which was their third win in a row and the side are occupying the second spot of the table on 18 points in seven rounds (leaders Sporting Cristal earned 19). On away turf, they won two and lost one in 2019.
Independiente should win here but the handicap is just too big and I don’t expect them to trash their opponent.