Throughout this Copa Libertadores, the gap between Brazilian teams and the rest has been widening, and with star signings, the low level of their Argentine and Uruguayan rivals, and the eternal promise of the rise of Colombians and Chileans, which never came to fruition, we arrive at a thrilling knockout tie between two completely matched teams, one looking to recover and defend the title and the other going for one of the big surprises of the continental championship.
Here are the most important sports predictions of the week, with a Fluminense that is obliged to overcome a tie it started winning in a very good way, against a Gremio that, while not playing at its best level, has scored at crucial moments. Thus, we will have one of the best matchups in this round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores.
Best bets Fluminense vs Gremio
All odds are courtesy of Codere, correct at the time of publication and subject to change.
Fluminense, the recovery of the champion
“Flu” is at a significant crossroads, as they are deep in the relegation zone in the local league and although they have improved in recent matches, the feeling of playing in the second division is still looming. However, it must be said that the further they advance in the Libertadores, the motivation and need of Fluminense will divide the mind of a team whose primary objective is staying in the top division.
Moreover, beyond Fluminense’s needs, the problem lies in the absences that the carioca team presents, has presented, and will present; Germán Cano, Serna, and Marcelo are some of the absences for a squad that urgently needs results, especially in the league.
Thus, in the first leg, led by Ganso, Fluminense initially took the lead, although in the end, Gremio came back and showed that they are now a much stronger team than those from Porto Alegre. That said, it is still unknown what absences Flu will have for this match, making everything quite unpredictable in a game that does not count for their permanence.
Best bets Fluminense vs Gremio
Photo:
DiaEsportivo / Alamy Stock Photo
Gremio, with irregularity
The Porto Alegre team has had many ups and downs, sitting in the middle of the Brasileirao standings, out of all international cups for the next year, making this championship extremely important for Gremio. However, judging by their performance in the first match, they are not in a position to win the Copa Libertadores.
Gremio reached this stage after finishing second in their group, with The Strongest, a team that was thrashed by Peñarol 4-0, which they surpassed in their group. It must be said that in the 8 games played by Gremio, they scored 9 goals.
As visitors, Gremio lost one away game in the current cup, against The Strongest, winning the other two, both by 1-0, against Estudiantes and Huachipato.