Racing Club is close to reaching their first Copa Sudamericana quarter-final since 2017 as they welcome Huachipato to Estadio Presidente Peron in Avellaneda.
Racing secured a 2-0 win in the first leg in Chile last week, with goals in each half, marking their second away victory in the tournament. This result ended their two-match winless streak and boosted their confidence, as they enter this game on a two-match winning streak, including a 1-0 win over Newell's Old Boys on Friday.
During this year’s Sudamericana group stage, Racing was only behind once at halftime, losing 2-1 to Bragantino. They won all their home group matches by a combined score of 9-0, though they recently lost 1-0 at home to Gimnasia. Racing has a history of advancing past the round of 16, including a memorable progress in 2017 on away goals. They have defeated Chilean teams in all three of their previous Sudamericana encounters.
In contrast, Huachipato struggled in the opening leg, failing to get a shot on target and showing limited attacking threat. Their prospects of advancing look slim, given they’ve scored one goal or fewer in five of their last six matches. However, they have previously overcome deficits in this tournament, such as after a 3-2 loss to Racing, advancing on penalties following a 1-0 win in the second leg.
Huachipato has lost all three of their Sudamericana round of 16 ties, with previous defeats including two 1-0 losses to Sao Paolo in 2014. Their two group stage victories in the Copa Libertadores this year were both away from home, suggesting a potential for an upset. Recently, they won by two goals for the first time since a 2-0 victory over Gremio in the Libertadores group stage.
Prediction: Huachipato
Racing Club vs Huachipato stream and TV listing
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