Racing Club vs. Cruzeiro: Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

Saturday at Estadio General Pablo Rojas in Paraguay, we will see a new Copa Sudamericana champion crowned as Racing Club, and Cruzeiro aims to raise the trophy for the first time.

While Celeste shut out Lanus 1-0 in Buenos Aires to win that tie by a total score of 2-1, the Argentines returned to win their second-leg semi-final game against Corinthians 2-1, progressing 4-3 on aggregate.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

Racing Club persisted, winning a third consecutive home game in this tournament, even though it fell only six minutes in a do-or-death clash with Corinthians.

After missing the 1989 Recopa Sudamericana against Nacional from Uruguay, a game they lost 1-0 on aggregate, Saturday will be their first visit to a continental final.

With five straight wins across all events, Gustavo Costas has this side in perfect shape approaching this contest.

Following the previous two encounters, which finished in a 0-0 stalemate, El Primer Grande will triumph at a CONMEBOL event for the first time since the 1967 Copa Libertadores by winning this weekend.

Since Defensa y Justicia thrashed Lanus in the 2020 final 3-0, no team from Argentina has taken home the Copa Sudamericana championship.

Having previously defeated Bragantino (3-0), Athletico Paranaense (4-1), and Corinthians (2-1) in Argentina in the campaign, La Academia has never lost to a Brazilian opponent as the home club in this competition.

Cruzeiro has defeated a hostile audience in Argentina since a first-half stoppage-time goal against Lanus brought them into this tournament's final.

Never having lost a CONMEBOL club final, Fernando Diniz has guided Fluminense to a Copa Libertadores triumph a year ago and the Recopa Sudamericana trophy in 2024.

Having lost two of their last three meetings across all events, Cruzeiro enter this final with one goal, deciding their previous four competitive matches.

Their sole loss in the tournament as guests in 2024 was 1-0 against Boca Juniors in the round of 16; hence, they have only surrendered once in six away games at the Sudamericana this year.

Athletico Paranaense captured this cup in 2021 (1-0 against Bragantino), so Brasileiro Serie A teams have lost the past two Sudamericana finals; Sao Paolo suffered a 2-0 loss against Independiente del Valle in 2022, and Fortaleza lost on penalties a year ago (4-3).

Raposa has not participated in a continental event since the 1997 Copa Libertadores when they beat Peruvian club Sporting Cristal 1-0 on aggregate in the final.

Racing Club x Cruzeiro Team News

Roger Martinez and Santiago Solari replaced Maximiliano Salas and the tournament's joint-leading goalscorer, Adrian Martinez, in the latter stages of that pivotal match. Racing had the same starting 11 in legs one and two of their semi-final tie against Corinthians.

After Yuri Alberto had given the guests the lead in the early stages of leg two, a brace courtesy of Juan Fernando Quintero helped them to move into the final.

While Gabriel Veron, Matheus Pereira, and Kaio Jorge are qualified to play after missing their domestic match this week via suspension, Cruzeiro is most likely without Rafa Silva, battling a thigh issue.

While Cassio made four saves to gather his second clean sheet of the campaign, Jorge scored their only two goals in the semi-final stage, including the winner in Argentina.

Our Predictions

Racing Club to win @ 2.33 on Sky247.ng

Although Racing Club has had its fair share of tight games lately, we think their experience and solid form will be sufficient to beat Cruzeiro, who ought to fight hard.

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