Athletico Paranaense and Belgrano will face off at Arena da Baixada in the first leg of their Copa Sudamericana round-of-16 tie on Thursday.
The hosts overcame Cerro Porteno 3-2 on aggregate in the previous round, while the visitors secured automatic qualification to the last 16 by topping Group C.
Match preview
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After finishing second in Group E with 12 points, just one point behind eventual group winners Sportivo Ameliano, Athletico-PR had to navigate the round of 32 before reaching the last 16 of the Copa Sudamericana.
However, they survived this playoff round, securing a 1-1 draw away at Cerro Porteno before holding out for a 2-1 win at home in the second leg to keep their hopes alive in the competition.
El Paranaense are seeking to win South America's second-tier club competition for the third time in their history, having lifted the trophy twice within three years, in 2018 and then 2021.
Martin Varini took over as manager on July 9 and currently boasts a win rate of over 55 percent since then, including the victory over Cerro Porteno in the round of 32.
Since their second-leg win over Cerro Porteno, the Brazilian side have drawn one and lost one match, while winning three, including a two-legged Copa do Brasil tie over Bragantino.
In what will be their first-ever meeting against Thursday's opponents, the hosts will be aiming to lay down a marker in the first leg as they look to match their performance from the last time they featured in this competition in 2021.
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Meanwhile, Belgrano are heading into this clash on a three-match unbeaten streak, which includes a win over Godoy Cruz and consecutive draws with Sarmiento and Union.
El Celeste are currently eighth in the Argentine Primera Division with 16 points after 10 matches but are just four points behind leaders Huracan.
Juan Cruz Real's side have enjoyed a smooth passage through the competition so far, topping their group with three wins and three draws to finish one point ahead of Internacional.
The visitors won two and drew one of their three away games during the group stage but are currently without a win in their last three on the road in all competitions, with one defeat sandwiched between draws.
Belgrano will be facing this opponent for the first time but they will know that a positive result here will be crucial to take back home for the second leg next week.
Team News
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Athletico-PR will go into this match with a full squad available, as there are no injury or suspension concerns for manager Varini, giving them plenty of options to choose from.
Gonzalo Mastriani is a key player to watch, sharing the top scorer position in the competition with six goals.
Belgrano, on the other hand, face a number of injury problems, as Lucas Passerini and Ulises Sanchez are both out with cruciate ligament ruptures.
Rafael Delgado, Bryan Reyna, and goalkeeper Matias Daniele are also sidelined with different injuries and will miss the game.
Athletico Paranaense possible starting lineup:
Linck; Rocha, Gamarra, Esquivel; Erick, Christian, Fernandinho; Nikao, Zapelli, Julimar; Mastriani
Belgrano possible starting lineup:
Chicco; Meriano, Troilo, Rebola; Barinaga, Rolon, Longo, Metilli, Velazquez; Jara, Fernandez
We say: Athletico Paranaense 1-1 Belgrano
Athletico-PR have been inconsistent at home in recent weeks and throughout this competition, while Belgrano remain unbeaten away from home in the current Sudamericana campaign, which is why we predict a positive result for the visitors.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
