Preview: Barcelona SC vs Cruzeiro - prediction, team news, lineups

Cruzeiro return to action in the Copa Libertadores for the first time in six years when they take on Barcelona SC at the Estadio Monumental Banco Pichincha on Tuesday night.

Having reached the group stages through the qualifiers, the Ecuadorian outfit will face Cruzeiro, Boca Juniors and Universidad Catolica in a tough Group D, making an opening-day victory crucial in shaping their qualifying ambitions.

Match preview

Just like in 2025, when they booked their spot in the Copa Libertadores group stages by edging out a Brazilian outfit in the qualifiers, Barcelona SC saw off Argentinos Juniors in the first qualifying round before claiming a 2-1 aggregate victory over Botafogo in March.

Having endured a forgettable campaign last term, where they finished rock-bottom in Group B under former coach Segundo Castillo, the Ecuadorian side have their sights on reaching the knockout stages this term, with Venezuelan tactician Cesar Farias tasked with achieving this feat.

Back home, the Toreros have enjoyed a solid start to the Ecuadorian LigaPro Serie A, picking up three wins and three draws from their first seven matches to sit third in the league standings, level on 12 points with second-placed Universidad Catolica.

Farias’s men were last in action on Friday, when they secured a 2-0 victory over LDU at the Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado, with Hector Villalba and Jhonny Quinonez getting on the scoresheet in a solid team display.

Barcelona now return home, where they have struggled for consistency this season, failing to win three of their five matches this season, notably their 1-0 defeat against Argentinos Juniors and the 1-1 stalemate against Botafogo in the Libertadores qualifiers.

Seeking their third Libertadores crown, Cruzeiro head into the continental showpiece off the back of a heavy 4-1 defeat against Sao Paulo in their Brasileirao clash at the weekend, a result which has seen their form further take another turn for the worse.

With newly-appointed head coach Artur Jorge taking his second game at the helm of affairs, Friday’s result marked a fifth league defeat for the Fox, just one shy of their total tally for the 2025 campaign, where they clinched an impressive third-placed finish.

With just one win from their most recent six matches in all competitions, Cruzeiro will be keen to flip the script on Tuesday as they return to action in the Libertadores for the first time since 2019, when they picked up five wins from six games in a stellar group-stage performance before crashing out in the round of 16 at the hands of River Plate.

Jorge’s side, who are currently having their worst start to a Brasileirao campaign in club history, have managed just nine wins and lost eight in 21 outings across all competitions since the turn of the year, while scoring 30 goals and conceding 28.

While Cruzeiro will be looking to get their Libertadores campaign off on the right track, they have lost nine of their previous 16 meetings against Ecuadorian opponents, while an extra layer of intrigue will be added to Tuesday’s matchup as both teams go head to head for the first time in history.

Barcelona SC Copa Libertadores form:

Barcelona SC form (all competitions):

Cruzeiro form (all competitions):

Team News

Farias has opted for a 3-5-2 formation for most of the season, and we expect the 53-year-old to name an unchanged starting side from last weekend’s victory over LDU.

Argentine striker Dario Benedetto and 26-year-old Luis Cano have developed a formidable partnership at the attacking end of the pitch and the duo will look to deliver the goods once again.

On the injury front, Joao Rojas remains the only concern heading into Tuesday, with the 28-year-old set to be reassessed after being rested against LDU due to a knee problem.

Cruzeiro, on the other hand, will be without several players down the spine of the team, with Brazilian goalkeeper Cassio set to sit out the remainder of the year through a severe ligament injury.

He is joined on the club’s injury table by Marquinhos and Luis Sinisterra, while Lucas Romero is a doubt after missing the game against Sao Paulo through a thigh problem.

Barcelona SC possible starting lineup:

Contreras; Carabali, Rangel, Baez, Sosa, Vallecilla; Celiz, Lugo, Quinonez; Cano, Benedetto

Cruzeiro possible starting lineup:

Cunha; William, Bruno, Villalba, Kaiki; Henrique, Gerson; Arroyo, Pereira, Christian; Jorge

We say: Barcelona SC 1-1 Cruzeiro

With an average of 0.4 goals conceded across their last 10 matches, Barcelona have proven tough to crack at the defensive end of the pitch, and with Cruzeiro struggling to find their foot under Artur Jorge, we predict both sides will cancel out each other’s efforts and settle for a share of the spoils.

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