Paraguayan outfit Club Libertad welcome Argentine side Tigre to the Estadio Defensores del Chaco for the first leg of their last-32 tie in the Copa Sudamericana on Friday.
While the visitors are seeking to claim successive away victories in all competitions for the first time this year, the hosts are hoping to extend their unbeaten home run to six matches.
Match preview
After reaching the last 16 of the Copa Libertadores last year, Club Libertad failed to escape from the group stage this time around after finishing third in Group G behind Brazilian duo Athletico Paranaense and Atletico Mineiro, picking up just seven points from six games.
Nevertheless, the Cabbage Growers will continue their continental journey in the Copa Sudamericana – a competition that they last competed in two years ago when they reached the semi-finals.
Managed by Argentine boss Daniel Garnero, Libertad ended a four-game winless run in all competitions when they secured a 2-0 home win over rivals Nacional Asuncion last weekend, recording their first win of the Clausura campaign in the Paraguayan Primera Division.
Libertad, who have never been eliminated from the last 32 of the Copa Sudamericana before, will be confident of securing a positive result on Friday as they are unbeaten in each of their last five home matches, while they have only lost two of their last 17 home games in all competitions.
As for Tigre, they enter the Copa Sudamericana knockout rounds for the first time since 2012 when they reached the final, after finishing second in Group D behind Sao Paulo.
Despite losing both fixtures without scoring against Sao Paulo, El Matador managed to accumulate 10 points from their remaining four games to claim a top-two finish ahead of Deportes Tolima and Puerto Cabello.
Juan Sara's side ended a three-game losing streak in all tournaments as well as a four-match losing away run when they beat Instituto 1-0 on the road last weekend, a result which helped them to climb up to 18th place in the Argentine Primera Division.
Tigre are now preparing for their first meeting with Libertad since April 2013 when they secured a thrilling 5-3 away victory in the Copa Sudamericana group stage before finishing one point above the Paraguayan side to progress to the knockout rounds.
Team News
Club Libertad will be without the services of midfielder Hugo Martinez who is still recovering from a long-term muscle problem, while wingers Antonio Bareiro and Bautista Merlini remain sidelined with ligament injuries.
Forty-year-old former Benfica striker Oscar Cardozo was on the scoresheet along with Lorenzo Melgarejo last time out, and the attackers are in contention to start up front together, with the latter set to battle with Enso Gonzalez and former Manchester City and Bayern Munich striker Roque Santa Cruz, 41, for a starting berth.
As for Tigre, Ijiel Protti remains out with an ACL injury, while centre-back Victor Cabrera has missed the last two games with a muscle strain and is unlikely to feature on Friday, so Brian Leizza and Emanuel Aguilera could continue at the heart of the defence.
Italy international Mateo Retegui scored his 12th goal of the campaign in the win over Instituto last weekend, and the 24-year-old striker is expected to retain his place up front, with support provided in attack by either Gonzalo Flores or Facundo Colidio.
Club Libertad possible starting lineup:
Silva; Piris, Viera, Gimenez, Espinoza; Sanabria, Campuzano, Gomez, Villalba; Melgarejo, Cardozo
Tigre possible starting lineup:
Marinelli; Blondel, Aguilera, Cabrera, Prieto; Garay, Menossi, Cardozo, Molinas; Flores; Retegui
We say: Club Libertad 1-1 Tigre
Both teams will fancy their chances of coming out on top on Friday and taking an advantage in the second leg later this month, but we believe that a tight affair could be in store between the two evenly-matched sides and they may be forced to share the spoils in a first-leg draw.
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