Preview: O'Higgins vs Boca Juniors - prediction, team news, lineups

O'Higgins and Boca Juniors will do battle in Chile on Friday as they conclude their battle for a place in the Copa Sudamericana round of 16.

The visitors make the trip with a one-goal lead to defend, having won the first leg of their knockout round playoff tie at home last week.

Match preview

O'Higgins return to continental action on Friday aiming to come from behind to progress to the Copa Sudamericana round of 16.

A third-placed finish in the Chilean top flight in 2025 saw them enter Copa Libertadores qualifying, before dropping into the group stage of the continent's secondary competition following a win over Bahia and an aggregate defeat to Deportes Tolima.

El Capo de Provincia then progressed to the knockout round playoff with a second-placed finish in group C, finishing two points short of top spot and a guaranteed final-16 place and pipping Millonarios to the top two with a final-round victory to keep their continental campaign alive.

A trip to Boca Juniors then followed in last week's first leg, after an aggregate win over Nublense in the Copa de la Liga to progress to the final, before Lucas Bovaglio's side fell just short in Argentina and suffered a 2-0 away league defeat to Deportes Concepcion on Monday, leaving them 10th after 16 outings.

Far from out of the tie, though, O'Higgins now head into their home leg with a one-goal deficit to overturn if they are to qualify for the round of 16 of the Copa Sudamericana.

Their visitors, meanwhile, make the trip aiming to get over the line with a slender advantage from their home leg.

Boca Juniors find themselves in the Copa Sudamericana knockout round playoff having failed to progress from their Copa Libertadores group while salvaging third place behind Universidad Catolica and Cruzeiro, having managed seven points from their six group games.

The six-time Copa Libertadores and two-time Copa Sudamericana champions then entered and faced O'Higgins, taking an aggregate lead from last week's first leg as Miguel Merentiel scored the only goal at La Bombonera on the stroke of half time.

Rodolfo Arruabarrena's team would suffer a disappointing domestic defeat of their own last time out, too, falling to a 3-0 loss away at Deportivo Riestra in their first outing of the Liga Profesional Clausura phase, after finishing second in the Apertura table and dropping out of the playoffs in the first round.

Now desperate to progress deep into South America's secondary competition in what has been a relatively tough campaign by their standards, Boca Juniors will hope to make their lead count and progress after Friday's away leg.

O'Higgins Copa Sudamericana form:

L W D L W L

O'Higgins form (all competitions):

W W L W L L

Boca Juniors Copa Sudamericana form:

Boca Juniors form (all competitions):

D L W W W L

Team News

O'Higgins should field a similar starting XI from last week's away leg, having made widescale changes for Monday's league game against Deportes Concepcion.

Arnaldo Castillo will return up front, having managed 12 goals this season, while winger Francisco Gonzalez leads the squad with 13 in all competitions this term alongside 15 assists.

Juan Leiva should regain his spot in midfield alongside Felipe Ogaz, who has been a mainstay in their Copa Sudamericana campaign thus far, while Miguel Brizuela and Alan Robledo should reform a centre-back partnership.

Boca Juniors also fielded a far different starting XI last time out from the first leg and will revert to a similar setup, with attackers Milton Gimenez and Adam Bareiro remaining sidelined by injuries.

Miguel Merentiel will lead the line after his goal in the reverse fixture, taking him onto seven for the season, while Lionel Flores and Sebastian Villa got the nod either side of him at La Bombonera.

Key man Leandro Paredes has returned to the fold after featuring for Argentina in their run to the World Cup final, and he will come back into the midfield after sitting out at the weekend, while Santiago Ascacibar will hope for a start in midfield, while Milton Delgado and 19-year-old Tomas Aranda were also mainstays in the centre in their Copa Libertadores group games.

O'Higgins possible starting lineup:

Carabali; Faundez, Robledo, Brizuela, Pavez; Ogaz, Leiva; Gonzalez, Rabello, Sarrafiore; Castillo

Boca Juniors possible starting lineup:

Montero; Gorosito, Figal, Costa, Blanco; Delgado, Paredes, Aranda; Flores, Merentiel, Villa

We say: O'Higgins 1-2 Boca Juniors (Boca Juniors win 3-1 on aggregate)

While Boca Juniors only managed a 1-0 victory with home advantage in the first leg, they do boast the stronger squad and should have enough to defend their lead while having chances to hit the pushing hosts on the break.

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