River Plate reached the Copa Libertadores’ quarter-finals for the fourth time in the last five campaigns after beating Cruzeiro on penalties (drawing 0-0 away). Last weekend, the team played enjoyable football and thrashed defending league champions Racing Club 6-1 away, which means El Millonario managed seven points from nine available in the league. Marcelo Gallardo’s men are unbeaten in their last nine competitive matches, with five wins and four draws in regular time. At home, River hasn’t lost any of their last seven, winning five and drawing two.
Cerro Porteno had enough to reverse the score against San Lorenzo and claim a 2-1 victory at their own stadium. Therefore, the club reached the Copa Libertadores’ quarter-finals for the first time since 2011. Last Saturday, they drew 0-0 at home in the derby against Olimpia, which means El Ciclon is sitting in the third spot of the Paraguayan league table on 11 points in six rounds while Libertad is leaders on 15. Cerro is on five competitive matches unbeaten in regular time (two wins, three draws). On away turf, they suffered a single loss in their last eight games, winning five and drawing two.
River is coming from scoring 6 last weekend, but they will still miss their best defender Javier Pinola and the same thing for Cerro who won’t have Marcos Caceres. This looks like it could be an open match and even though I expect a River win, I think they might also concede against Cerro powerful attack.