Boca Junior vs. Cruizero: Match Preview, Odds & Predictions

The opening leg of Thursday night's round-of-16 match between Cruzeiro and Boca Juniors will take place at the Estadio Alberto Jose Armando. It marks Cruzeiro's return to the Copa Sudamericana.

Previous Matches and Head to head

This is the first meeting between the teams since the Argentine side prevailed 3-1 on aggregate in 2018's Copa Libertadores quarterfinals.

As part of the Copa Sudamericana's knockout stage playoff in July, Ecuadorian team Independiente Del Valle was defeated 1-0 by Boca Juniors, who had to work hard for the win.

Edinson Cavani, a seasoned striker, scored the game-winning goal for the Xeneize in the 39th minute of the second leg. This gave them a 1-0 home victory and clinched the tie on aggregate after they played to a scoreless draw at the Complejo Independiente del Valle on July 18.

Boca Juniors had a strong showing in the group stage, earning 11 points (three wins and two draws) to finish second in Group D, only two points behind Fortaleza.

Coming into Friday's match, Diego Martinez's squad is riding high after a 1-1 draw with Independiente Rivadavia in the Argentine Primera Division last weekend. Ivan Villalba scored the first goal in the 77th minute, but Cristian Medina scored in the 95th minute to equalize.

That outcome propelled Boca Juniors to fifteenth place in the league rankings. They have now gone six games undefeated, with two victories and four draws.

In contrast, last Sunday's Brasileiro Serie A match between Cruzeiro and Atletico Mineiro ended in a scoreless stalemate, meaning Cruzeiro could not get back on track.

At the Mineirao Stadium, both teams had 18 shots on goal, but neither goalie could clear the net. In retrospect, a draw was a fair outcome.

On August 6, the previous match ended Fernando Seabra's team's two-game winning streak in the league as Fortaleza defeated them 2-1 (goals scored by Breno Lopes and Renato Kayzer).

Cruzeiro, which is in sixth place in Serie A, will now focus on the Sudamericana. They won their group with 12 points out of a possible 18.

With eight goals scored and five clean sheets, the Raposa finished the group stages as one of only three undefeated teams (together with Belgrano and Cuiaba) thanks to their three victories and three draws.

Boca Juniors, an Argentine side, defeated Cruzeiro 2-0 in the first leg on September 20 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2018 Copa Libertadores after a 1-1 game in Minas Gerais. Cruzeiro will now face this same Boca Juniors team.

Boca Juniors x Cruizero Team News

On May 23, 2024, Aaron Anselmino of Boca Juniors and Edinson Cavani celebrated the team's first goal.

Due to a suspension, 19-year-old midfielder Milton Delgado will not play in Friday's match after receiving a straight red card in the second leg on July 25 against Independiente del Valle.

On the field, Boca Juniors will be without veteran defender Marcos Rojo, who will miss his third straight game with a muscular ailment.

Also sitting out Friday's encounter is fellow defender Cristian Lema, 34, who has been injured since coming off the field against Independiente on July 25. Lema has missed the previous four matches in a row.

While the Uruguayan striker Cavani was scoreless in last weekend's encounter against Rivadavia, he is still a player to watch since he has scored 16 goals in his previous 20 games.

With Fabrizio Peralta still sidelined since returning from the Copa America in June with a muscle ailment, Cruzeiro will be missing a key player.

The 21-year-old attacker Gabriel Veron isn't playing for Raposa and has missed the last four matches due to a thigh injury he suffered against Palmeiras.

Our Predictions

Boca Juniors to win @

Cruzeiro, who have won just twice in their last eight road games, will need to play their best game at the Estadio Alberto Jose Armando if they want to go back to Brazil with a first-leg lead. We are, however, betting that Boca Juniors will achieve their goals since they have been almost unbeatable at home.

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