Cruzeiro will receive this Thursday Boca Juniors at the Mineirão Stadium in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in the second leg of the round of 16 of the 2024 Copa Sudamericana. This encounter promises to be an exciting one, as both teams look to advance to the quarterfinals of the continental tournament.
However, Boca Juniors will face this challenge without one of its main players, Edinson Cavani, who will miss the match due to a muscle injury. In the first leg, played at La Bombonera, Boca Juniors achieved a narrow 1-0 victory thanks to a goal from Edinson Cavani.
The Uruguayan striker scored the only goal of the match, which was validated after a VAR review. Despite the victory, the team led by Diego Martinez was unable to capitalize on all the scoring opportunities it created, leaving the series open for the return match in Brazil.
Cavani’s injury is a significant blow for Boca Juniors. The forward suffered a grade II muscle injury in the left soleus, which will keep him out of this crucial match. Cavani has been a key piece in Boca’s attack, and his absence will force Diego Martínez to rethink his offensive strategy.
Santiago Giménez is the leading candidate to replace Cavani up front, although Exequiel Zeballos is also being considered for that spot. For this match, Cruzeiro is expected to field Cássio in goal, with a defence made up of William, Zé Ivaldo, João Marcelo and Marlon.
In midfield, Lucas Romero, Walace Silva, Álvaro Barreal and Matheus Pereira will be in charge of creating play, while Lautaro Díaz and Kaio Jorge will lead the attack. For its part, Boca Juniors will probably line up with Sergio Romero in goal, Luis Advíncula, Gary Medel, Cristian Lema and Lautaro Blanco in defense.
Key match
In midfield, Jabes Saralegui, Pol Fernández, Cristian Medina and Kevin Zenón will be in charge of pulling the strings of the team, while Miguel Merentiel and Santiago Giménez (or Exequiel Zeballos) will be up front.
Mouth comes from a 3-2 victory over San Lorenzo in the local league, where it is in eighth place with 17 points, six less than the leader, Huracán. Diego Martinez’s team has had an irregular performance in the domestic tournament, but trusts in its experience and hierarchy to advance in the Copa Sudamericana.
