Luis Suárez and his Nacional de Montevideo will try to turn the series around against Atlético Goianiense on Tuesday, at the start of second-leg quarterfinal matches that have champions Independiente del Valle and Sao Paulo in the race for the semifinals.
The mission of the Uruguayan tricolor is to leave behind the bad experience it suffered against Goianiense in Montevideo, with the 1-0 defeat in the revival of the Pistolero, and turn the key to stay alive in the tournament.
With the return of Suárez, after shining 17 years in Europe, those led by Pablo Repetto aim to stay alive in a tournament they never won and the optimism in the white ranks is great after beating Rentistas 3-0 in the domestic tournament, a The first goal scored by the Celeste striker in the return home.
In front, Goianiense has other plans and has reason to believe in his strength, despite being in the lower part of the Brasileirao table, he won the weekend against Red Bull Bragantino, the finalist of the last edition of the Sudamericana that crowned the also Brazilian Athletico Paranaense.
Further north, in Quito, Independiente del Valle -champion in 2019- will seek to complete their task against Deportivo Táchira who stood with all their potential in the first leg in San Cristóbal but without luck to get a positive result.
– Sao Paulo-Ceará, reserved prognosis –
The Brazilian Sao Paulo, champion of the South American in 2012, has a high-risk duel against his compatriot Ceará on Wednesday in the Brazilian northeast.
The first leg was for the team led by the legendary exporter Rogério Ceni by 1-0, but the failure of a penalty by their scorer, the Argentine Jonathan Calleri, left everything to be defined against a Ceará who lost undefeated in this edition of the tournament against the Paulistas .
Already in the Brazilian south, Thursday will be the day of the Porto Alegre International against Melgar. In the first leg, a goalless draw in Arequipa, with 2,340 meters of altitude, left the gaúchos optimistic about revenge.
But those directed by the Argentine Pablo Lavallén have another script in mind.
In Brazil “we will go out to look for the rival. We will look for some spaces when the chances arise and when we not only have to be patient,” Melgar’s coach warned.
The final of the Copa Sudamericana will be played in Córdoba, Argentina, on October 1.
— Second legs of the Copa Sudamericana quarterfinals, to be played this week (first leg results in parentheses):
Tuesday:
In Goiania: Atlético Goianiense (BRA) – Nacional (URU) (1-0)
In Quito: Independiente del Valle (ECU) – Deportivo Táchira (VEN) (1-0)
Wednesday:
In Fortaleza: Ceará (BRA) – Sao Paulo (BRA) (0-1)
Thursday:
In Porto Alegre: International (BRA) – Melgar (PER) (0-0)
gfe/ol