The semi-finals of the 2024 Copa Libertadores kick off on Tuesday as Atletico Mineiro host River Plate at Arena MRV for the first leg of their tie.
Atletico Mineiro, known as Galo, advanced to this stage by eliminating reigning champions Fluminense 2-1 on aggregate. Meanwhile, River Plate secured their spot by defeating Colo-Colo with the same scoreline.
Playing at home has been a significant advantage for Mineiro, who boast a perfect record at Arena MRV in this year’s tournament. They overturned a 1-0 deficit against Fluminense with two second-half goals in their last match, making it three consecutive home wins without conceding.
Gabriel Milito’s side enters the match on a five-match unbeaten streak across all competitions, recently reaching the Copa do Brasil final with a 3-2 aggregate win over Vasco da Gama. This marks Mineiro’s first semi-final appearance since 2021, where they were eliminated by Palmeiras on away goals. Notably, Atletico has never lost a home semi-final in normal time, winning three out of their four meetings against River Plate in this competition, including two home victories by a combined score of 4-0.
On the other hand, River Plate returns to the semi-finals for the first time in four years, also maintaining a 100% home record in the tournament this season. Under Marcelo Gallardo, they remain undefeated in this year’s Copa Libertadores, with only two draws in ten matches.
In their last three semi-final away matches, River has won twice, including a 2-0 victory against Palmeiras in 2020. However, they have not won in their last three matches across all competitions, drawing 1-1 with Velez Sarsfield recently. Remarkably, River Plate has never trailed in the Libertadores this year and has not lost when scoring first since July.
Atletico Mineiro will miss Matias Zaracho due to a hernia, and both Bernard and Cadu are doubtful with knee injuries. Deyverson, who scored twice against Fluminense, and goalkeeper Everson, who secured a clean sheet, are expected to play key roles.
River Plate may be without Pity Martinez due to an ACL issue, while Rodrigo Aliendro has a sore shoulder, and Agustin Sant’Anna continues his recovery from a knee injury. Facundo Colidio, who scored in the last match, will be crucial, along with captain Franco Armani, who made two key saves to preserve a shutout.
Atletico Mineiro: Everson; Lyanco, Battaglia, Alonso; Scarpa, Franco, Vera, Arana; Bernard; Deyverson, Hulk
River Plate: Armani; Bustos, Pezzella, Gonzalez Pirez, Acuna; Lanzini, Bareiro, Fernandez; Meza, Borja, Colidio
