The Copa Sudamericana returns with a fresh set of fixtures as Chilean side Huachipato and Argentine outfit Racing Club go head to head at the Estadio Sausalito on Tuesday.
While the visitors cruised through the group stages, the Chilean outfit had to see off Racing de Montevideo on penalties in the playoffs following their group-stage exit from the Copa Libertadores.
Match preview
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Huachipato had to dig deep in the playoff of the Copa Sudamericana as they overturned a first-leg deficit to secure a penalty-shootout victory over Uruguayan side Racing de Montevideo.
Having suffered a 3-2 first-leg defeat in Chile on July 16, Cris Martinez grabbed the headlines in the return leg one week later as his ninth-minute strike was enough to hand Los Acereros a 1-0 victory at the Centenario Stadium and take the tie to penalties, where they picked up a 3-0 win.
This was a much-needed result for Huachipato, who were dumped out of the Copa Libertadores after picking up eight points from six matches to finish third in Group C, two points off runners-up Gremio.
Back home, Igor Oca's men have endured a turbulent campaign in the Primera Division as they find themselves languishing in 15th place in the table, just two points above rock-bottom Union.
Huachipato headed into Tuesday's Copa Sudamericana tie fresh off the back of a goalless draw against Cobresal at the Estadio Sausalito last weekend, which extended their winless run in the league to four games.
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Racing Club, on the other hand, enjoyed a solid Copa Sudamericana group-stage campaign as they picked up five wins from their six matches to finish top of Group H with 15 points from a possible 18 — the highest number of points of all 32 teams.
The Argentine outfit's only defeat came on November 10, when they were beaten 2-1 by Brazilian outfit Bragantino at the Estadio Nabi Abi Chedid courtesy of a brace from Thiago Borbas.
Racing Club kept four clean sheets and finished the group stages with 15 goals scored in their six matches, with only Athletico Paranaense (17), Independiente Medellin (16) and Fortaleza (15) scoring more.
Gustavo Costas's men head into Tuesday's game fresh off the back of a somewhat disappointing 1-0 loss against Gimnasia - a result that saw their run of four consecutive home wins in the Argentine Primera Division come to an end.
Despite the result, Racing have enjoyed a solid start to the new league campaign, claiming five wins and two draws from their 10 matches so far to collect 17 points and sit sixth in the table, three points off top spot.
Team News
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Barring any late fitness issues, Huachipato will head into Tuesday with a clean bill of health and no suspension concerns, giving Oca the luxury of a full-strength squad at his disposal.
The Spanish coach could name a similar side from the stalemate against Cobresal at the weekend, meaning that Maximiliano Gutierrez, Benjamin Gazzolo, Imanol Gonzalez and Antonio Castillo could form the back four, with Fabian Cerda starting in goal once again.
Claudio Sepulveda and Jeisson Vargas should team up in the centre of the park while we should see a front three of Mario Briceno, Maximiliano Rodriguez and 31-year-old Martinez, who has four goals in his last four matches.
Meanwhile, Racing Club will have to cope without experienced defender Agustin Garcia, who is set to sit out his sixth consecutive game after coming off injured in June's game against Lanus.
Juan Nardoni missed the game against Gimnasia on Saturday through a sprained ankle and the 22-year-old midfielder is also out of contention for Tuesday's clash.
Adrian Martinez, who has six goals in the Copa Sudamericana this season, was shown a red card against Gimnasia at the weekend but the 32-year-old is eligible to feature on Tuesday and should lead the visitors' attack once again.
Huachipato possible starting lineup:
Cerda; Gutierrez, Gazzolo, Gonzalez, Castillo, Sepulveda, Vargas, Montes; Briceno, Rodriguez, Martinez
Racing Club possible starting lineup:
Arias; Di Cesare, Sosa, Quiros; Martirena, Zuculini, Barrios, Elordi; Solari, R Martinez, A Martinez
We say: Huachipato 1-2 Racing Club
Both Huachipato and Racing Club have struggled for consistency in recent weeks and will be looking to secure a vital first-leg victory on Tuesday. However, the visitors boast a superior squad on paper and we are backing them to come away with a narrow win.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joshua Ojele
