Estudiantes will make a trip to Brazil to take on Fortaleza for the first leg of their Copa Libertadores round-of-16 tie on Friday.
The hosts impressed to advance in second place despite a poor start to the league campaign, while their visitors topped their group with 12 points.
After securing fourth place in the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A table on the final day of last season, Fortaleza earned automatic entry into the Copa Libertadores group stage, but they had to endure a tough start.
Defeats to Colo Colo and River Plate left Atezados without a point from the opening two rounds of fixtures, before they were able to bounce back with a 2-1 win over Alianza Lima.
A stalemate with River Plate kept them in the fight for qualification heading into the final two matches, and they went into second place by completing a double over the Peruvian outfit.
That left Fortaleza leading Colo Colo on goal difference heading into their crucial final-day contest in Chile, and they eventually prevailed with a 4-3 win to secure the spot in the final 16, as Moises scored a brace alongside goals from Silvio Romero and Yago Pikachu.
Juan Pablo Vojvoda’s side welcome an Estudiantes side who cruised through the group stage with relative ease after progressing through qualifying and will look to carry that form over.
Ricardo Zielinski’s side firstly had to take on Audax Italiano and Everton de Vina for a place in the Copa Libertadores, and they advanced with 2-1 and 2-0 aggregate wins respectively.
They then kicked off their group campaign with a 4-1 defeat over Velez Sarsfield and a draw with Atletico Nacional, before booking their spot in the final 16 with a win over the latter and a pair of victories against Bragantino, keeping three clean sheets in the process.
Fortaleza vs Estudiantes head to head
The two teams have not previously met on any occasion, and this will be the first time they meet in a competitive match in the Copa Libertadores.
Fortaleza latest home form
Fortaleza have recently been on a relatively good run of form at home, having been unbeaten in their four most recent matches. They managed to defeat Ceara 2-0 in their last home game in the Copa do Brasil. In their last five matches, they have scored four goals and conceded two.
Fortaleza 0-1 Ceara 02/06/22
Fortaleza 1-1 Goias 10/06/22
Fortaleza 0-0 Athletico Paranaense 13/06/22
Fortaleza 1-0 America Mineiro 20/06/22
Fortaleza 2-0 Ceara 23/06/22
Fortaleza latest away form
Fortaleza have recently failed to keep a good run of form on the road, having lost each of their two most recent matches. They lost 3-2 to Atletico Mineiro in their last away game in the league. In their last five matches, they have scored 12 goals and conceded 10.
Alianza Lima 0-2 Fortaleza 19/05/22
Colo Colo 3-4 Fortaleza 26/05/22
Flamengo 1-2 Fortaleza 05/06/22
Avai 3-2 Fortaleza 17/06/22
Atletico Mineiro 3-2 Fortaleza 26/06/22
Estudiantes latest home form
Estudiantes have recently failed to keep a good run of form at home, having won just two of their five most recent matches. They lost 2-0 to Newell’s Old Boys in their last home game in the league. In their last five matches, they have scored five goals and conceded five.
Estudiantes 1-0 Nacional 04/05/22
Estudiantes 1-1(P) Argentinos Juniors 12/05/22
Estudiantes 1-1 Gimnasia La Plata 05/06/22
Estudiantes 2-1 Sarmiento 15/06/22
Estudiantes 0-2 Newell’s Old Boys 26/06/22
Estudiantes latest away form
Estudiantes have recently failed to keep a good run of form on the road, having won just two of their five most recent matches. They lost 2-1 to Independiente in their last away game in the league. In their last five matches, they have scored four goals and conceded nine.
Rosario Central 3-1 Estudiantes 08/05/22
RB Bragantino 0-1 Estudiantes 18/05/22
Velez Sarsfield 4-0 Estudiantes 25/05/22
Aldosivi 0-1 Estudiantes 11/06/22
Independiente 2-1 Estudiantes 21/06/22
Fortaleza news
Key man Moises, who scored three goals in the group stage including a crucial brace in the win over Colo Colo, should lead the attack for Fortaleza.
Marcelo Benevenuto is likely to command the back three, with Titi, Brayan Ceballos and Tinga left to fight for the other two places in the defence.
Estudiantes news
Estudiantes will be without full-back Bruno Valdez, who was sent off in their final group game and will serve a suspension as a result.
Forward Mauro Boselli remains a key man in attack, and could again be joined by Leandro Diaz up front, with Matias Pellegrini and Manuel Castro battling for starting roles.
Prediction and Odds
Fortaleza’s domestic form has been more than concerning, but they have shown themselves to be a different side in the Copa Libertadores this season.
They will be keen to gain an advantage at home and we back them for a narrow victory on Friday, with everything still in balance for the second leg.
Odds: 1 1.89 X 2.00 2 2.15
Probable outcomes
Fortaleza 1-0 Estudiantes
Fortaleza 2-0 Estudiantes
Fortaleza 2-1 Estudiantes
Fortaleza 0-0 Estudiantes
Fortaleza 1-1 Estudiantes
