Trailing 2-1 from last week's first leg, Tigre aim to overturn their deficit against Club Libertad on Thursday, when the clubs clash in the Copa Sudamericana playoffs.

A last-16 tie with Brazil's Fortaleza awaits the aggregate winner at Estadio Jose Dellagiovanna, in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires.

Match preview

Mateo Retegui at Copa Sudamericana for Tigre versus Sao Paulo © Reuters

Leading by a goal at half time last week at Asuncion's Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Tigre contrived to throw away their precious advantage after the break, so start Thursday's return behind by a goal.

Though the visitors initially led through Blas Armoa's strike, their Paraguayan hosts turned the tie around with second-half replies from ex-Benfica men Lorenzo Melgarejo and Oscar Cardozo. The latter, now a 40-year-old substitute, upstaged Tigre's star striker Mateo Retegui as Libertad secured a 2-1 home victory, which sets them up nicely for the trip to Argentina.

El Matador are participating in the Copa Sudamericana's knockout phase for the first time since 2012 - when they went on to reach the final - after finishing second in Group D behind Sao Paulo.

Despite losing both fixtures without scoring against the Brazilian giants, Juan Sara's side still picked up 10 points from their remaining four matches to claim a top-two finish, and with it a place in the knockout-round playoffs.

Now, despite occupying 21st place in the 28-team Argentine Primera Division after Monday's 1-0 home defeat to Barracas Central, Tigre must target a repeat of an April 2013 clash with Libertad, when they secured a superb 5-3 win to progress from the Copa Sudamericana group stage.

Libertad's Oscar Cardoza celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates on May 24, 2023 © Reuters

Extending their unbeaten home streak to six matches in the process, Libertad's first-leg comeback saw their second-half dominance rewarded, and opening scorer Melgarejo was only denied a double by an intervention from the VAR.

Therefore, a potential last-16 contest against Fortaleza will already be on the minds of some fans, as Gumarelo (the Cabbage Growers) aim to continue their journey deeper into a competition they last took part in two years ago, when they ultimately fell in the semi-finals.

This year, Libertad dropped into the second-tier tournament after failing to repeat their feat of reaching the Copa Libertadores knockouts in 2022; suffering an early exit after finishing third in Group G behind Brazilian clubs Athletico Paranaense and Atletico Mineiro.

However, a team overseen by Argentine coach Daniel Garnero - once manager of Tigre's Buenos Aires rivals Banfield - has plenty of experience to call upon, as in addition to Cardozo, whose senior career started some 20 years ago, former Bayern Munich frontman Roque Santa Cruz still plies his trade for the Asuncion club aged 41.

Paraguayan Primera Division's Apertura winners for the past three years, Garnero's side have started the current Clausura campaign by posting back-to-back wins without conceding a goal, and after Sunday's 3-0 success away to Guarani, confidence is certainly high in the camp.

Tigre Copa Sudamericana form:

Tigre form (all competitions):

Club Libertad Copa Sudamericana form:

Club Libertad form (all competitions):

Team News

Abel Luciatti for Tigre at the Copa Sudamericana in April 2023 © Reuters

Following their first-leg failure and another defeat at the weekend, Tigre may make changes on Thursday evening, with wide men Blas Armoa and Agustin Obando among those set for a recall to the starting XI.

Leading the line will be top scorer Mateo Retegui - continuously linked with a switch to Serie A since making his Italy debut earlier this year - while Lucas Menossi captains the hosts from midfield.

While Tigre centre-back Victor Cabrera is expected to miss the second leg, Libertad midfielder Hugo Martinez - who recently signed a three-year contract extension - is certainly ruled out as he continues to recover from an ACL injury.

Despite his advancing years, Roque Santa Cruz remains the visitors' focal point in attack; Hector Villalba and Lorenzo Melgarejo should support the towering striker in a 4-3-3 formation.

Tigre possible starting lineup:
Marinelli; Luciatti, Aguilera, Ortega; Garay, Menossi, Cardozo, Prieto; Armoa, Retegui, Obando

Club Libertad possible starting lineup:
Silva; Piris, Viera, Barboza, Espinoza; Sanabria, Campuzano, Gomez; Villalba, Santa Cruz, Melgarejo

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We say: Tigre 1-1 Club Libertad (Libertad win 3-2 on aggregate)

As Libertad are in by far the better form and could have won by more in last week's encounter, the Paraguayan club can secure their spot in the next round by holding Tigre to a draw. That would be enough to earn victory over two legs, setting up a last-16 tie for early next month.

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