RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct. 21 -- Bitter football rivals Brazil and Argentina will this week face off in two tantalizing battles for a place in the final of South American football's top club competition.
On Tuesday, Buenos Aires giants River Plate will host defending champions Gremio of Porto Alegre and on Wednesday Luiz Felipe Scolari's Palmeiras will also visit Argentina's capital for a clash with Boca Juniors in their Copa Libertadores semifinal first legs.
Return matches in Porto Alegre and Sao Paulo will be played the following week, with the winners over both legs earning a berth in the final, also to be played on a home-and-away basis on November 11 and 28.
River Plate and Gremio both have injury worries as they prepare for Tuesday's clash at the Monumental in Buenos Aires' northern districts.
The Argentine outfit received good news on the weekend when medical staff declared that midfielder Gonzalo Martinez has fully recovered from a hamstring strain.
However doubts hang over the availability of Argentina international goalkeeper Franco Armani, who has not played since suffering a quadriceps injury in early October.
"He has been feeling better these last few days but needs more time to fully recover," River coach Marcelo Gallardo said on Sunday. "I think he will be okay but we'll see in the next few days."
Gremio's fitness concerns are more pressing. Forwards Luan and Everton, the team's leading scorers this year, have both been ruled out of Tuesday's match by coach Renato Gaucho despite local media reports suggesting they could play.
Luan is nursing a foot injury while Everton is struggling to recover from a thigh problem that forced him out of Brazil's international friendlies against Saudi Arabia and Argentina earlier this month.
Gremio could also be without veteran right-back Leo Moura, who has a calf complaint.
Wednesday's clash at the Bombonera features two teams that have had vastly different fortunes in the Copa Libertadores.
Palmeiras, the most successful club in Brazil's Serie A history with nine titles, have won just one Copa Libertadores title: in 1999 during Scolari's first spell as coach. They were losing finalists to Boca Juniors the following year but have mostly struggled in the competition since then.
Boca, meanwhile, are six-time Copa Libertadores champions and could this year equal Independiente's record as the club with the most titles.
Palmeiras have been rejuvenated under Scolari, who returned to coach the club for a third time in late July. Since then the Sao Paulo outfit have won 16 and lost just two of their 23 matches in all competitions and they currently hold a four-point buffer at the top of Brazil's Serie A standings.
Conversely, Boca have struggled to recapture the form that saw them win the past two Superliga Argentina titles. Guillermo Barros Schelotto's men are currently fifth in the Superliga standings with just four wins from nine matches this season.?
初二英语期末考试试题复习题集锦
阅卷老师:中考英语“中国式”英语仍突出
老师提醒:中考英语考前5分钟试听
走遍美国视频教程1-78课(附课文文本)
09年中考英语单项选择题答题技巧附答案
怎样让中学生喜欢学习初中英语词汇
初中英语完形填空解题技巧
中考英语高分学生学习心得:做题做到吐为止
09中考英语作文最新预测9个话题及练习
中考英语116分 只靠勤奋细心和好心态
第二届学而思英语"卓越奖"考试时间变更通知
初中英语常用交际用语归纳
名师点评 2009年中考英语试卷安庆卷
中考英语填写单词的方法及练习
2009年中考英语上海试卷评析
中考英语复习句型转换专项练习和答案集锦
中考英语5种题型答题技巧 熟悉英语思维
初一英语期末试题复习题精选集锦
中学生学好英语 要走出三大误区
中考英语语法与词汇满分练习和答案
讲座:从09中考看初二、初三英语学习
名师一语道破高考英语语法"天机"
初中英语构词法前缀后缀词汇一览表
初三九年级英语试题集锦
学而思英语学习暑期公益讲座月
中考英语作文必备的10个"万金油"句型
09希望之星英语大赛初中组亚军 彭佳月的学习经
09中考英语试题:相对稳定 适当微调
中考英语高分学生经验:单词需要多次记忆
初三升高一,暑期要给英语打“补丁”
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |