Predictions Copa Sudamericana - Racing Club vs Athletico Paranaense

Copa Sudamericana - Racing Club vs Athletico Paranaense
Match Time: 27-09-2024 07:30 Friday (GMT+7)
Football Livescore | Match Prediction & Tips
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Racing Club failed to arrest their slump in form at the weekend as they fell to a 2-0 defeat against 10-man Talleres when the two sides squared off at the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in the Argentine Primera Division.

In a game where Franco Moyano received an early bath, the visitors failed to make use of their numerical advantage as Valentin Depietri and Cristian Tarragona scored in either half to hand Talleres their seventh league win of the campaign.

Two days earlier, Racing's Copa Sudamericana dreams suffered a slight blow as they were beaten 1-0 by Athletico Paranaense in the first leg of their quarter-final clash courtesy of a first-half strike from 18-year-old midfielder Joao Cruz.

Gustavo Costas' men had enjoyed a smooth run to the quarter-finals, picking up five wins from their six group-stage games to finish two points clear at the top of Group H before claiming an emphatic 8-1 aggregate victory over Huachipato in the round of 16 back in August.

After two consecutive defeats on their travels, Racing will be backing themselves to turn things around on Thursday as they return home, where they are unbeaten in nine of their last 10 games across all competitions, picking up eight wins and one draw since mid-May.

It is also worth mentioning that La Academia also boast a 100% home record in the Copa Sudamericana, winning each of their four games at the Estadio Presidente Peron while scoring 15 goals and keeping three clean sheets.

Athletico Paranaense, on the other hand, picked up four wins and lost two of their six group-stage games to finish runners-up in Group E with 12 points from a possible 18 and set up a playoff clash against Paraguayan outfit Cerro Porteno back in July.  

Having held on for a 1-1 first-leg draw in Paraguay on July 19, Athletico Paranaense's men had to show their mettle in the return leg one week later as they secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory at the Arena da Baixada to win the tie on aggregate.

The Rubro-Negro made light work of Belgrano in the round of 16 in August as they picked up a 4-1 aggregate victory over the Argentine outfit to reach the quarter-finals, where they hold a vital first-leg advantage heading into Thursday.

While Paranaenses have enjoyed a solid Sudamericana run, they have failed to win any of their last eight domestic matches, losing five and claiming three draws, including a goalless draw against Criciuma in the Brasileiro Serie A on Sunday night.

This poor run of results has seen them drop into 13th place in the Serie A table, just three points above the relegation zone, while they have also crashed out of the Copa do Brasil following a penalty-shootout defeat against Vasco da Gama in the quarter-finals on September 12.

While Paranaense will be looking to continue from where they left off against Racing and edge closer to a third Copa Sudamericana title, they will need to be at their best at the Estadio Presidente Peron as they have failed to win four of their last five away matches since August 11.

Prediction:  Racing Club 1-1 Athletico Paranaense