Internacional and Rosario Central return to action in the Copa Sudamericana when they go head to head in the second leg of their playoff-round clash on Tuesday.
Having secured a 1-0 victory in Argentina, the Canalla are in the driver's seat heading to the Estadio Jose Pinheiro Borda, while the Brazilian outfit will be looking to overturn their first-leg deficit.
Match preview
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Despite picking up three wins and losing just one game in the Copa Sudamericana group stages, Internacional had to settle for a playoff spot as they finished second in Group C, just one point behind first-placed Belgrade.
The Brazilian side were let down by their lack of cutting edge in front of goal in the first leg of their playoff clash against Rosario Central as they suffered a 1-0 defeat at the Estadio Gigante de Arroyito in midweek.
While they saw over 60% of the ball possession and were on the front foot for most of the game, the visitors were left empty handed as Jaminton Campaz struck in the 49th minute to hand Rosario a first-leg victory.
Internacional's recent struggles in front of goal was once again highlighted on Saturday when they fell to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Botafogo in the Brasileiro Serie A, with Luiz Henrique netting the only goal of the game to hand the Lone Stars all three points.
Following the loss to Botafogo, Roger Machado's men have now gone eight consecutive matches without a win across all competitions, losing five and claiming three draws since a 1-0 victory over Gremio on June 22.
This drop-off in form has seen the Colorado plunge into the bottom half of the Serie A standings as they currently sit in 13th place with 19 points from 14 matches while they have crashed out of the Copa do Brasil following a 3-2 aggregate defeat against Juventude.
While Internacional will be looking to overturn their first-leg deficit on Tuesday, recent results at home offer little optimism as they have lost their most recent three games and managed just one win in their three Copa Sudamericana group-stage games on home turf.
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Rosario Central, on the other hand, continued from where they left off in the Sudamericana as they stormed to a 4-2 victory over Sarmiento in the Argentine Primera Division on Saturday.
In an action-packed contest at the Estadio Gigante de Arroyito, goals from Alan Rodriguez, Lautaro Giacconen and a first-half brace from Agustin Modica inspired Rosario to their first home win of the new league campaign.
Since suffering a narrow 3-2 loss against Argentinos Juniors in the season opener on May 11, the Canalla have gone unbeaten in five straight league games, claiming two wins and three draws while scoring eight goals and conceding four.
Miguel Angel Russo's men now turn their attention to the Sudamericana, where they will be looking to clinch their first-ever title, having dropped down from the Copa Libertadores in May following a disappointing group stage run.
Rosario won just two of their six games in Group G while losing three and claiming one draw to collect seven points and finish third in the standings, dropping to the Sudamericana for the first time since 2021, when they reached the quarter-finals.
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Team News
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Internacional remain without several players down the spine of the team as Wanderson (muscle), Fernando (thigh) and Thiago Maia (muscle) continue their spells on the sidelines.
They are joined on the Colorado injury table by Enner Valencia, who is recuperating from a muscle problem while goalkeeper Ivan Quaresma, has been sidelined since January through a knee injury.
Brazilian defender Vitao has been out of action since coming off with a first-half injury in the first leg against Rosario Central while Charles Aranguiz and Fabricio Bustos are ruled out due to ankle and muscle injuries respectively.
Rosario, on the other hand, will take to the pitch without the services of former Internacional man Abel Hernandez, who has been ruled out through a thigh injury.
Francis Mac Allister, who made 19 league appearances last season, will also play no part in Tuesday's clash having recently completed a move to Argentinos Juniors.
Midfielder Tomas O'Connor has missed each of Rosario's last four games due to a hernia and the 20-year-old is also out of contention for the Canalla.
Internacional possible starting lineup:
Rochet; Bustos, Gomes, Mercado, Rene; Romulo, Gomes; Henrique, Patrick, Wesley; Alario
Rosario Central possible starting lineup:
Broun; Coronel, Mallo, Quintana, Sandez; Lovera, Ibarra, Martinez, Campaz; Copetti, Ruben
We say: Internacional 3-1 Rosario Central
Internacional have struggled for results in recent weeks but will be backing themselves to turn things around on Tuesday in front of their home supporters. While we expect Rosario to put up a fight, we are backing the Brazilian outfit to overturn their first-leg result and secure their spot in the knockout stage.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joshua Ojele
