Argentinos Jrs vs. Fluminense (Tuesday, 11.00pm)
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Argentinos Juniors will put their undefeated home record at the 2023 Copa Libertadores on the line Tuesday when they welcome Fluminense to Estadio Diego Armando Maradona in the opening leg of that round of 16 tie.
It is the first time since 2021 that both of these sides are in the last 16 of this tournament, as the Argentines finished second in their group with 11 points, while Fluzao ended up first in their group, ahead of River Plate on goal difference despite going winless in their final three group stage affairs.
We say: Argentinos Juniors 1-1 Fluminense
Argentinos were the more consistent of the two sides in the group stage, but Flu have a quality finisher in Cano who does not need much of an opening to score.
This could be more of a feel-out game for these two evenly-matched sides, which is why we believe that a stalemate is a logical scoreline.
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Bolivar vs. Athletico PR (Wednesday, 1.00am)
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On Tuesday, Bolivar will open their round of 16 tie at the Copa Libertadores by welcoming Athletico Paranaense to Estadio Hernando Siles for the first time.
In the group stage of this tournament, La Academia reeled off four victories, finishing second behind Palmeiras with 12 points, while El Paranaense topped their group with 13 points, three more than Atletico Mineiro.
We say: Bolivar 2-1 Athletico Paranaense
On paper, Athletico have a side that we believe are superior to Bolivar, but something about the atmosphere in La Paz seems to bring out the best in the home team, and that, along with their splendid goalkeeping, might be enough for them to create a big surprise.
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River Plate vs. Internacional (Wednesday, 1.00am)
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River Plate take on Internacional in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores round of 16 at the Estadio Monumental on Tuesday evening.
The hosts managed to reach this stage of the competition after finishing second in Group D, while the visitors finished top of Group B.
We say: River Plate 2-0 Internacional
River Plate were very impressive during their previous Argentine Primera Division season, particularly at home, while Internacional have struggled in recent weeks, despite being dominant in the group stage of the Copa Libertadores.
As such, we expect the hosts to emerge as comfortable winners, building up a strong lead ahead of the second leg in Porto Alegre next week.
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Barney Corkhill
