Brazilian club Fortaleza and Argentine side Estudiantes clash in the early hours of Friday morning, as the Copa Libertadores round of 16 first legs continue.
Estudiantes booked their place in the last 16 after finishing atop Group C – five points clear of second-place Velez Sarsfield.
Meanwhile, Fortaleza finished second in Group F – three points clear of third-place Colo-Colo and six points shy of first-place River Plate.
Fortaleza won three of their six group games, registering one draw and two losses in the process. Crucially, they won three of their final four group clashes.
The Brazilian side looked destined for an early exit when they lost their first two matches, but they managed to turn things around in style.
Fortaleza head into the first leg on the back of a 3-2 defeat to Atletico-MG in Serie A, meaning they have lost two of their past four outings across all competitions.
That said, they have only lost three of their previous ten matches, so they will fancy their chances of sealing a first-leg advantage over Estudiantes.
As for Estudiantes, they lost just one of their six group games – securing four victories and one draw along the way.
The Argentine side took 13 points from a possible 18, meaning only three teams picked up more points during the group stage.
It is also worth noting that Estudiantes conceded just five goals in six group games. That means they have one of the best defensive records in the competition.
That said, Estudiantes come into the first leg on the back of two straight losses in the Argentine top flight.
They have also lost four of their previous nine matches across all competitions, so they are not in the best form right now.
Head-to-head: This will be the first meeting between Fortaleza and Estudiantes, meaning we have no previous results to assess for this matchup.
Team news: Fortaleza have no injury worries at the moment. They will be looking to Moises and Silvio Romero, who have both scored three Copa Libertadores goals this term.
On the flip side, Estudiantes will be without Ezequiel Munoz as the centre-back continues to recover from a ruptured cruciate ligament.
Having won three of their final four group stages, Fortaleza will be brimming with belief ahead of the first leg.
With that in mind, Forebet predicts that Fortaleza will clinch a low-scoring victory over Estudiantes – keeping a clean sheet in the process.
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