First-leg final against Tigres at 10pm in Mexico tonight
MONTERREY, Mexico — The Libertadores Cup final today at 10pm (Argentine time) pits old against new as River Plate bid to win the tournament for the third time and Tigres aim to become the first Mexican side to lift South America’s version of the Champions League.
The Mexicans have invested heavily to end that streak, signing Brazilian forward Rafael Sobis, French striker André-Pierre Gignac, Mexican midfielder Javier Aquino and Nigerian international Ikechukwu Uche.
Playing in their fourth Libertadores, they will not be overawed by their more illustrious opponents at the Universitario stadium in Monterrey. The 42,000 tickets available only for local supporters were all sold out by Monday.
The clubs met twice in the group stages — drawing 1-1 in Argentina and 2-2 in Mexico — and Tigres has learned lessons, especially from the home game in which they surrendered two late goals.
“The lesson we learnt is that we cannot afford that luxury, we know that they are a (tough) opponent right until the final whistle and we hope not to give them any chances,” Tigres’ Argentine midfielder Guido Pizarro told the club website.
The Argentines, meanwhile, are experienced Libertadores competitors, taking part in the tournament 31 times and lifting the trophy in 1986 and 1996, also its last final.
They will try to keep the game tight enough to give themselves a chance of winning the home leg in Buenos Aires a week later.
“It’s a rival that we know, although they have new players,” River defender Jonathan Maidana said.
“But we do too. It will be a hard game, but they like to play football and I think we have what it takes and the desire to win this competition.” River won only two of six group games and squeezed into the last 16 with the worst record of all the qualifiers to face top seeds and arch-rivals Boca Juniors.
They won the first leg 1-0 at home and progressed to the quarterfinals after one of the most unforgettable matches in Libertadores history. With the halftime score 0-0, a Boca fan attacked River players in the tunnel, causing the game to be abandoned and Boca to be kicked out the competition.
A black day for Argentine football proved to be a springboard for River.
They hammered Cruzeiro 3-0 away to clinch their semifinal spot and took advantage of the month-long break for the Copa América to add veterans Lucho González and Javier Saviola.
River is aiming for the rare feat of holding both the Libertadores and South American Cup, the tournament they won last December.
River Plate already has a ticket to the Club World Cup, as Tigres is a guest team in the CONMEBOL tournament.
The first leg match will be led by Paraguayan referee Antonio Arias.
The away goal rule is not valid in the final. In case of a draw after the two legs, an overtime period of 30 minutes divided into two periods of 15 minutes each will be used. If at the end of this overtime the game is still drawn, then the winner will be defined by a penalty shoot-out, according to the rules stipulated by FIFA.
Probable line-ups — Tigres: Nahuel Guzmán; Israel Jiménez, Juninho, Hugo Ayala, Jorge Torres Nilo; Jürgen Damm, Egidio Arévalo Ríos, Guido Pizarro, Javier Aquino; Rafael Sobis and André Pierre Gignac. Coach: Ricardo Ferretti.
River Plate: Marcelo Barovero; Gabriel Mercado, Jonatan Maidana, Ramiro Funes Mori, Leonel Vangioni; Carlos Sánchez, Matías Kranevitter, Leonardo Ponzio, Tabaré Viudez, Rodrigo Mora and Lucas Alario. Coach: Marcelo Gallardo.
Herald staff with Reuters, DyN online media
Source: Buenos Aires Herald