Preview: River Plate vs. Colo-Colo – Prediction, team news, lineups

River Plate will host Colo-Colo at the Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti in the second leg of their Libertadores Cup Quarter-finals on Wednesday.

La Banda secured a valuable 1-1 draw in the first leg against Los Albos at the Estadio Monumental David Arellano last Tuesday.

Game Preview

© Imago

River Plate continued its winning streak in the current Libertadores season after leaving Chile with a draw last Tuesday, a match that saw eight yellow cards and two red cards – one each for both teams.

La Banda took the lead just before half-time when German Pezzella found the net, but Carlos Palacios Shortly after the hour mark, the tie was restored for Colo-Colo.

River Plate has never lost in the Libertadores when the first goal was scored and has only dropped points once in this scenario (2-2 draw against Nacional).

Marcelo Gallardowho won the Copa Libertadores title twice (2015 and 2018) with the Argentine team, reached the milestone of 100 games as a coach in the competition, the third highest value after Luis Cubilla (104) and Gabriel Uribe (116).

River Plate are unbeaten in their last ten matches in all competitions and beat Boca Juniors 1-0 in their most recent game in the Superclasico in the Argentine Primera Division last Saturday.

La Banda, who are unbeaten at home to Wednesday's visitors in this competition and last won 4-0 in 2022, will be hoping to repeat that result and advance to the semi-finals of this competition for the first time since 2020.

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Meanwhile, Colo-Colo is still trying to win its first quarter-final match in the competition, for the first time since beating Universidad Catolica 3-1 in 1997.

However, they have won just one of their four away games in the Libertadores this season – a 2-1 victory over Junior FC in the round of 16 – and that was their most recent.

After the defeat in the away match against Fluminense on 10 April Jorge AlmironThe team remained unbeaten away from home for five months, 13 matches in total, until they suffered a 3-0 defeat to Magallanes in the Chilean Cup, their last away game.

On Tuesday, Eterno Campeon is in danger of failing to win three competitive matches for the first time since April this year (three).

River Plate Copa Libertadores form:

River Plate form (all competitions):

Form of the Colo-Colo Copa Libertadores:

Team News

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River Plate will go into this duel without Rodrigo Aliendrowho is recovering from a shoulder injury that will likely keep him out of action until the end of October.

Too bad, Martinez is also unavailable until next month due to a cruciate ligament tear, while Maximiliano Meza has an injury that could keep him out of action for the next few days.

Paulo DiazOne of the two players sent off in the first leg will be suspended for the return leg.

Colo-Colo continues to be without its Chilean midfielder Vicente Pizarrowho is recovering from a broken jaw and for whom there is no definite return date, and Cesar Fuenteswho suffered a cruciate ligament tear in March.

Maximiliano Falconwho was also sent off in the first leg, is suspended for Wednesday's match.

Possible starting lineup for River Plate:
Armani; Bustos, Pezzella, Acuna, E. Diaz; Simon, Fernandez, Kranevitter; Echeverri, Borja, Meza

Possible starting lineup for Colo-Colo:
Cortes; Isla, Amor, Saldivia, Wiemberg; Gil, Pavez; Vidal, Palacios, Cepeda; Correa

We say: River Plate 2-1 Colo-Colo (River Plate advances with 3-2 on aggregate)

River Plate come into this tie on an 11-game unbeaten streak in all competitions and have never lost a home game against Colo-Colo, so we expect the hosts to extend their home dominance and advance to the semi-finals with a win on Wednesday.

Click here to see a data analysis of the most likely outcomes, scores and more for this match.

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