Racing eye miracle v Flamengo, seek first Libertadores final in 58 years | OneFootball

Starting at 9:30 PM at the Cilindro de Avellaneda, the “Academia” will try to overturn the 1-0 defeat suffered at the Maracanã and secure a spot in the grand final of the continental tournament. Flamengo, reeling after losing in the Brasileirao and without their star Pedro, will look to maintain their advantage and reach their fourth final in seven years.

The Cilindro de Avellaneda will bear witness this Wednesday night to a true football battle. Racing will host Flamengo in the second leg of the Copa Libertadores semifinal, with the obligation to overturn the 1-0 deficit from the first leg in order to keep dreaming of the tournament’s grand final.

The team led by Gustavo Costas comes into the match with a single mission: to turn the series around and write a historic page. In Brazil, the academic side came very close to securing a draw, but a goal in the final minutes left them empty-handed. The standout player that night was Facundo Cambeses, who kept the team in the game with several key interventions.

However, not all the news was good for those from Avellaneda. Days before the match, it was confirmed that Santiago Sosa underwent surgery for a fracture in the upper right maxillary sinus, the result of an accidental blow from Marcos Rojo in the first leg. As a result, Racing will be without one of its most important midfielders.

This Wednesday’s match will be anything but ordinary. The Academia faces the most important match in its 21st-century history and seeks to return to a Copa Libertadores final after 58 years, when in 1967 they conquered the continent. Ahead of the match, a voice message from Gustavo Costas rallying the fans went viral: “If we’re together, we can do it. Let’s go all in, come on Academia!”

On the other side, Flamengo arrives wounded. The Carioca team, which had been leading the Brasileirao, lost on Saturday to Fortaleza (1-0) and surrendered the top spot to Palmeiras. It was their eighth defeat of the season, a statistic that gives Racing hope ahead of the decisive match.

Despite the setback, the team led by Tite maintains a defensive wall in the Cup: just five goals conceded throughout the tournament. However, they will be without one of their main attacking players: Pedro, who suffered a fracture in his forearm and has been ruled out for the return leg.

The winner of the clash between Racing and Flamengo will qualify for the grand final of the Americas, scheduled — for now — in Lima, Peru. Their opponent will come from the matchup between Palmeiras and Liga de Quito, to be decided this Thursday, with the Ecuadorians starting with a three-goal advantage.

The Academia is counting on the support of its fans and the mystique of its stadium to attempt a feat that would return them to the continent’s elite. Because, as their coach said, “if everyone is together, they can achieve it”.

Racing: Facundo Cambeses; Marco Di Césare or Nazareno Colombo, Bruno Zuculini or Colombo, Marcos Rojo; Gastón Martirena or Facundo Mura, Juan Ignacio Nardoni or Zuculini, Agustín Almendra, Gabriel Rojas; Santiago Solari, Adrián Martínez, and Tomás Conechny. Coach: Gustavo Costas.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.