Fortaleza EC vs River Plate Buenos Aires: Another draw in the Libertadores cup?

One of the central matches in the fourth round of the Libertadores Cup group stage will be between Fortaleza and River Plate. Despite the fielding factor, the Argentines are the clear favorites. In the first round, River Plate beat the Tricolours with a score of 2:0.

Since 21 April, Fortaleza has played five official matches in four tournaments. In the Cup of Brazil, Fortaleza beat Vitória (3:0). In the Campeonato Cearense, they drew and crushed Caucaia (4:0). In the Cup of Libertadores, they beat Alianza Lima, but in the last round of the Serie A, the Tricolores lost 0:1 to Corinthians. Fortaleza is third in Group F of the Libertadores Cup standings, six points behind River Plate and three behind Colo-Colo. On Friday, a draw against the Argentines is not enough for the Brazilians as the Tricolores need a win.

River Plate played three matches in two tournaments after a humiliating defeat at the hands of club Talleres de Cordoba in the Argentinian League Cup. First, they drew (1:1) with Atlético Tucumán, then beat Club Colo-Colo (2:1) in the Cup of Libertadores and crushed Sarmiento Junín away with a score of 7:0. At home, they have already guaranteed themselves a place in the play-offs to concentrate on the Libertadores Cup. At the start of the fourth round, the Argentine is top of Group F. If they win, they are guaranteed a place in the playoffs and perhaps even first place in the group.

The upcoming match is crucial for both teams in terms of their prospects in the tournament. Under no circumstances should Fortaleza lose at home, while River Plate can, in principle, be satisfied with a draw. The first game was a draw, and we doubt that the return game will be productive. Our first bet on this match is a combined X2+TU (3.5).

As we mentioned above, River Plate will be quite happy with a draw on Friday. That will be the starting point, considering that the Argentines are significantly better in class and experience than their future opponents.