Without Costas, Racing bow out of Sudamericana v Independiente Petrolero | OneFootball

The Academy will host the Bolivian side this Wednesday in Avellaneda, already with no chance of qualifying.

Racing Club will host Independiente Petrolero this Wednesday from 7 p.m. at the Cilindro in Avellaneda, for the sixth matchday of Group F of the Copa Sudamericana. The match will have little value in terms of qualification, since both teams have already been eliminated, although it will be an emotional night for an Academy side battered by a semester far below expectations.

Racing Club’s present situation was marked by the end of Gustavo Costas’ tenure, dismissed after the 2-2 draw against Caracas that sealed the team’s elimination from the Copa Sudamericana. The decision was made by Diego Milito and Sebastián Saja after an inconsistent campaign that deepened internal wear and left the institution surrounded by questions.

Sebastián Romero and Luciano Aued took over on an interim basis and will lead the team in the final commitments before the break. Racing had started the year with unexpected stumbles in the local tournament, managed to recover partially over a few rounds, but then fell again in the decisive matches.

In the Copa Sudamericana, the Academy never found consistency. It won just one match, drew two, and struggled especially while playing at the Cilindro de Avellaneda. With no chance of advancing and also eliminated from the Apertura Tournament, the club will close the semester surrounded by uncertainty and with an urgent need to rebuild a sporting project that just a few months ago seemed solid.

On Independiente Petrolero’s side, the story was not positive either. The Bolivian team quickly lost prominence in the competition and never managed to maintain a competitive level against opponents with greater international pedigree. Defensive difficulties and a lack of attacking efficiency shaped much of its campaign.

The recent defeat against Botafogo once again exposed those limitations. With no chance of qualifying, the Bolivian side will look to end its international run with a more competitive image before turning its focus back to the domestic tournament.

The most recent meeting between the two was in Sucre, in the first round of this edition, and ended with a Racing 3-1 win, in a match the Argentine side settled thanks to greater individual quality and attacking sharpness.

Racing’s probable lineup

Facundo Cambeses; Ezequiel Cannavo, Franco Pardo, Gonzalo Escudero, Ignacio Rodríguez; Adrián Fernández, Alejandro Tello, Matko Miljevic; Duván Vergara, Tomás Pérez, Gonzalo Sosa. Head coaches: Sebastián Romero and Luciano Aued.

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