Fluminense vs Sporting Cristal

The places in the 2023 Copa Libertadores knockout stages are open for the taking as Fluminense and Sporting Cristal are set to trade tackles at the famous Maracanã in a Group D qualification six-pointer.

Following a superb three-game winning start to their Group D journey, the wheels have fallen off, with Fluminense suffering back-to-back defeats at The Strongest and River Plate ‘to nil’ to compromise their chances of advancing into the Copa Libertadores knockout stages. A potential loss here, combined with River’s prospective home win over the Bolivian underdogs, would relegate the Brazilians to the Copa Sudamericana playoff round. But that would have to come at long odds, especially given that Fernando Diniz’s men have been a force to be reckoned with at home, winning both previous Group D fixtures in Rio de Janeiro by a total score of 6-1. If that’s not enough to ease the tension in the Fluminense camp, it’s worth noting that the ‘Tricolor’ haven’t lost a single competitive home game since January (W12, D3).

That’s not what visiting Sporting Cristal would want to hear, considering they must better River’s result elsewhere to progress beyond the group phase. Level on points with the Argentinean powerhouse and only one clear of basement boys The Strongest, they could miss out on the Copa Sudamericana switch if the results don’t go their way. However, after racking up a three-game unbeaten streak in Group D (W2, D1), the visitors ought to take the field in a buoyant mood, especially after a 2-1 comeback win at The Strongest last time out. Since that victory belongs to an eye-catching seven-match unbeaten run away from home (W5, D2), ‘Los Rimenses’ deserve the benefit of the doubt, even though they must defy the odds to pull off an upset in Brazil.