Goias will enter the second leg of their round of 16 clash at the Copa Sudamericana in a big hole, as they welcome Estudiantes to Estadio Serra Dourada on Wednesday.
The Brazilians suffered their first defeat of the competition in the opening leg, losing 3-0 to Los Pincharratas, who remain unbeaten at home in the 2023 tournament.
Match preview
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Another poor second half proved to be the undoing of Goias last Wednesday, as Verdao were reduced to 10 men shortly after the break and began to unravel from there, suffering their worst defeat since early May (5-0 loss to Palmeiras in league play).
Esmeraldino conceded as many goals in that encounter as they had in the whole group stage and have, in-turn, put themselves in a tough predicament, needing to reverse a three-goal deficit, something which has never happened in the knockout stage of this competition.
Although they have won three matches by a three-goal margin in 2023, none of those lopsided victories were against top-flight opponents, while they have only scored three goals in a single Brasileiro Serie A fixture once this season.
One positive that Armando Evangelista can take into this decisive fixture is how much his team have improved defensively at home, conceding only once in their last three Serie A games played in Goiania.
In three previous home games versus Argentine opponents at the Sudamericana, Verdao have one win, a loss and a draw, failing to concede in two of those contests, while they have claimed one three-goal victory versus a side from Argentina, defeating Newell's Old Boys 3-0 at home in a 2006 Copa Libertadores group fixture.
That year, they also faced Estudiantes in the group phase of the Libertadores and netted three times in a 3-2 victory, while they have yet to concede at home in the Sudamericana this year.
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It was another solid defensive outing from El Leon in the opening leg of this tie, putting the Argentines on the verge of a quarter-final berth at this tournament for the first time since 2014.
Estudiantes have never been eliminated from a knockout stage tie in the Copa Sudamericana after winning the opening leg, and they have only conceded in one away contest at this year's tournament.
El Leon have also never lost a Sudamericana encounter on Brazilian soil, holding the 2021 runners-up Bragantino to a 0-0 draw in the group phase this year.
They have only conceded a total of two goals in their previous five knockout stage affairs versus Brazilian opponents in either this competition or the Copa Libertadores, while Estudiantes have not suffered a three-goal defeat since October 2022 (4-0 loss at Velez Sarsfield).
Their solid defensive work may have carried them through the group phase of this tournament, but lately, their attacking prowess has made all the difference, with three or more goals scored in each game on their current four-match winning run in all competitions.
Eduardo Dominguez has seen his side create their share of opportunities down the flanks on their current winning streak, though they have also given up many chances away from home, conceding multiple times in their previous three road matches in all competitions.
Team News
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Diego was on the bench for Goias in the opening leg because of back spasms but could be ready to go on Wednesday, as could Gabriel Novaes and Sander, both of whom sat out of that encounter with thigh injuries, while Bruno Santos will be suspended.
Tadeu has yet to concede a goal at home in the Sudamericana this year, while Apodi is the only Verdao player to have found the back of the net for them in Goiania at this year's competition.
An own goal from Tobias Figueiredo gave them a 1-0 domestic triumph over Fortaleza this past weekend, moving them above the relegation line, as Tadeu picked up his third clean sheet in his last four league appearances.
We only saw one newcomer to the Estudiantes starting 11 against Goias last Wednesday who did not begin their final round of 32 clash versus Barcelona SC, as Fernando Zuqui replaced Guido Carrillo.
Carrillo came on for Franco Zapiola at the half of their opening leg, scoring the winner on 54 minutes, while Benjamin Rollheiser gave them some insurance with a pair of goals and Mariano Andujar only faced one shot, collecting a clean sheet.
Leonardo Godoy has three goals at the 2023 Sudamericana, with all of them occurring on the road, including the only strike when they suffered a 2-1 defeat at Barcelona in the previous round.
Goias possible starting lineup:
Tadeu; Apodi, Halter, Melo, Hugo; Meritao, Morelli, Alesson; Allano, Vinicius, Diego
Estudiantes possible starting lineup:
Andujar; L. Godoy, Nunez, Lollo, Benedetti; Rollheiser, Rodriguez, Ascacibar, Carrillo; Mendez, Pellegrino
We say: Goias 1-1 Estudiantes (Estudiantes win 4-1 on aggregate)
To score three goals against a side as disciplined and organised as Estudiantes have been throughout this competition is a big ask of any side, and we have a hard time believing Goias, who are tied for the third-fewest goals scored in the Brazilian top-flight this season (17), could find a way to unlock that defence on multiple occasions.
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Top tip
Joel Lefevre
