Preview: Gremio vs Montevideo City Torque - prediction, team news, lineups

Gremio and Montevideo City Torque are involved in a direct battle for top spot in Group F of the Copa Sudamericana this Tuesday and consequently for direct qualification to the round of 16 of the competition without having to go through the playoffs.

The Uruguayan outfit sits two points above the Gauchos at the top of the table and only needs a draw, which leads our prediction towards a potentially open contest with plenty of chances for both sides.

Match preview

Gremio head into the Copa Sudamericana clash in high spirits following their 3-2 comeback victory over Santos in the Brasileirao last weekend, when Carlos Vinicius turned in an eye-catching display.

Having netted a brace to help see off Santos, Vinicius is now averaging one goal every two games across all competitions, which has helped to keep Luis Castro’s job minimally stable.

Following last weekend’s league victory, Gremio have now moved up to 14th place in the Brasileirao standings, three points above the relegation zone and level on 21 points with Atletico Mineiro, Internacional and Corinthians.

Gremio now turn their focus to the Sudamericana, where they will be out for revenge on Tuesday, having suffered a 1-0 opening-day victory over Montevideo City Torque back in April courtesy of a second-half strike from Eduardo Aguero.

Castro’s men host a 100% home record on the continental scene, picking up a 1-0 victory over Deportivo Riestra in the second round on April 14, one week before edging out Palestino 2-0 in the fifth round, with goals from Martin Braithwaite and Christian Pavon.

On the other hand, Montevideo City Torque are the surprise package of the Sudamericana, as they lead the way at the top of Group F with 12 points from a possible 15, having picked up four victories and lost just one of their five matches so far.

Unlike the pressure on Gremio to secure all three points, a draw will see the Uruguayan outfit finish as group winners in the race for direct qualification to the round of 16, allowing them to approach the clash in Porto Alegre more cautiously.

Torque‘s only defeat came on their travels back in April, when they were beaten 2-1 by Argentine side Deportivo Riestra, with defender Juan Randazzo netting a brace to hand the hosts a comeback victory.

Marcelo Mendez’s men head into Tuesday’s group finale fresh off the back of a 2-1 victory over Progreso in the Uruguayan Primera Division, where they have picked up 23 points from their 15 matches to sit sixth in the table.

Gremio Copa Sudamericana form:

Gremio form (all competitions):

Montevideo City Torque Copa Sudamericana form:

Montevideo City Torque form (all competitions):

Team News

Needing a win to finish first in the group, coach Luis Castro is expected to name a similar XI that started in the win against Santos at the weekend.

The Brazilian outfit remain without several players down the spine of the team, as the likes of Mathias Villasanti (knee), Marlon (ankle), Gustavo Martins (leg), Fabian Balbuena and Juan Nardoni (thigh) are all recuperating from injuries.

A draw guarantees top spot for Torque, meaning Mendez has the option of rotating the squad, but we expect Salomon Rodriguez, who is the team's main attacking threat, to retain his role in the XI.

Should Mendez decide to shuffle his side, the 45-year-old manager could hand opportunities to players such as Diogo Guzman and 21-year-old defender Jose Taran.

Gremio possible starting lineup:

Weverton; Pavon, Eduardo, Viery Paulista; Perez, Arthur; Enamorado, Braithwaite, Amuzu; Vinicius

Montevideo City Torque possible starting lineup:

Torgnascioli; Silvera, Kagelmacher, Romero, Aguero; Siles, Montes, Pizzichillo; Obregon, Rodriguez, Lecchini

We say: Gremio 2-2 Montevideo City Torque

Gremio boast the firepower to get the result on their home patch, but Torque have shown resilience throughout the campaign and are capable of putting Tricolor Gaucho under pressure, especially without the burden of needing the result.

The Uruguayans have done well to clinch the direct qualification spot and we predict they will cancel out the hosts’ efforts and hold out for a share of the spoils in an entertaining draw.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.