The Copa Libertadores knockout stage kicks off this week and there’s a big match scheduled in Buenos Aires as River Plate takes on Internacional.
Bookmaker William Hill offers odds at 4.75 for both teams to score in the first half and at 4.00 for both to get a goal in the second half.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: July 31st, 1:30 P.M. (EST)
River heads into the clash in excellent form having finished the group stage strong and sits at the top of the Argentine league. Martín Demichelis has seen his side suffer only four defeats in 27 league fixtures and River has collected seven of its 10 points in the Copa Libertadores in the final three group games. The 2014 South American champion is seeking a third consecutive victory in the competition Tuesday.
This season has been all about Lucas Beltran for River. The 22-year-old forward is among the top scorers in the Argentine Primera Division with 12 goals and boasts four goals from continental action. Keeping him quiet will definitely be one of the keys to victory for Internacional.
Inter had a very good campaign last season, finishing second behind Palmeiras in the Brazilian Serie A, but the team has yet to find the same kind of rhythm in 2023. The two-time Copa Libertadores champion is only 12th in the league and has gone five games without a win.
The team’s poor play ended up costing manager Mano Menezes his job and Eduardo Coudet hasn’t managed to improve things much either after taking over. His reign started off with a 0-0 draw against Bragantino and Internacional lost 2-1 at home to Cuiaba over the weekend.
Things have completely fallen apart for Internacional offensively with Fabricio Bustos’ goal from the weekend being the team’s lone marker in five outings. Can Coudet get things going again in Buenos Aires? Internacional has saved some of its best performances for the Copa Libertadores this season, having registered an unbeaten record in the group stage with three wins and three draws.
Alan Patrick and Luiz Adriano each scored three goals in the group and will be looked at to provide the firepower as well. The team has also added Ecuador star Enner Valencia to the squad this summer, but he’s yet to blossom in Brazilian football, going without a goal in all of his first three Internacional appearances.
The teams clash in the Copa Libertadores for a third time. The sides were in the same group four years ago and played out a pair of 2-2 draws. Inter blew a two-goal lead on home turf and River managed to avoid defeat with an injury-time equalizer in the reverse fixture.
