Preview: River Plate vs. Blooming - prediction, team news, lineups

Already through to the knockout round of the Copa Sudamericana, River Plate host Blooming at Estadio Monumental on Wednesday night, aiming to seal top spot in Group H.

Finishing top offers direct passage to the competition's round of 16, and avoiding defeat against the eliminated Bolivian outfit ensures first spot in their section.

Match preview

One of five unbeaten group leaders heading into the sixth and final round of this stage, River enter this matchday seeking to end the group section undefeated.

Eduardo Coudet was only appointed at the start of March, but the 51-year-old manager has got to grips with the job fairly comfortably since replacing the legendary Marcelo Gallardo.

While Coudet could not secure the Torneo Apertura crown after losing 3-2 to Belgrano in Sunday’s playoff final, La Banda remain on course to reach the last 16 of the Copa Sudamericana.

Although they cannot look as far ahead to winning a second title — 12 years after their first in 2014 — they are one right result away from advancing to the competition’s last 16.

Even though their current standing already guarantees the Buenos Aires heavyweights a place in the playoff, securing one point on Wednesday would take them through as Group H winners.

With River holding the head-to-head advantage over second-place Carabobo, who they are two points clear of, all they have to do is avoid losing in the midweek encounter to end top regardless of the outcome in what should be a shootout for second spot between Carabobo and Red Bull Bragatino.

The form guide suggests that the Argentine giants will face little or no resistance, owing to their Bolivian visitors' results.

Celestes travel to Buenos Aires having secured just one point from a possible 15 in the group, leading to their premature elimination.

No team across the group stage has conceded as many as Celestes’ 14, who have found the back of the net just three times, leaving them with a goal difference of -11 ahead of Wednesday’s fixture.

Domestic results have done little to lift the mood in Santa Cruz, with Blooming winless in over a month since a narrow 2-1 success over Nacional Potosi, with last season’s fifth-place side currently seventh in the top flight after just seven games.

While there is still time to correct their wobbly start to the league, second chances do not exist in the Sudamericana; however, the eliminated visitors seek to find solutions to stop their seven-match winless sequence across all competitions this week.

River Plate Copa Sudamericana form:

River Plate form (all competitions):

Blooming Copa Sudamericana form:

Blooming form (all competitions):

Team News

Marcos Acuna went off with an apparent injury after 70 minutes against Belgrano on Sunday, making him doubtful for Wednesday.

If Acuna is ruled out, the experienced left-back will join Tobias Ramirez, Matias Vina, Sebastian Driussi and Agustin Roberto on the sidelines.

Without Driussi, the team’s leading scorer in the league and on the continent, River will have to find alternative final-third solutions against the competition’s worst defence.

Blooming seemed to come through last week’s 2-0 defeat to Carabobo unscathed, giving Sanchez a healthy group to work with.

Bayron Garces may be the team’s leading scorer in league play with four, but the forward has yet to find the net on the continent after five appearances, four of which have been starts.

Instead, Celestes have had three different scorers — Anthony Vasquez, Moises Villarroel and Roberto Hinojosa — highlighting the lack of a sure-fire marksman in their squad.

River Plate possible starting lineup:

Beltran; Bustos, Pezzella, Quarta, Rivero; Moreno, Vera; Meza, Colidio, Galvan; Freitas

Blooming possible starting lineup:

Uraezana; Enoumba, Carrasco, Vila, Cabral; Mercado, Oliveros; Chura, Hinojosa, Centella; Vasquez