Following a surprise quarter-final elimination from the domestic Apertura championship, and in what will be their last official match before the Club World Cup, Argentinian giants River Plate face Universitario in the 2025 Copa Libertadores on Tuesday night local time (Wednesday morning in the U.K.)
El Millonario will conclude their Group B campaign in a high-stakes match at the Monumental Stadium, despite having already qualified for the Round of 16.
For Marcelo Gallardo's team, this is a crucial match from a mental point of view. After the domestic penalty shootout defeat to Platense, River Plate will return to action at home with their fans expecting a win and to finish first in the group with as many points as possible, an important advantage for deciding their home game in the knockout stages.
Despite being without key players like Gonzalo Montiel and Maxi Meza (injured), River should hold nothing back.
As for Universitario, the arrival of coach Jorge Fossati has renewed their energy. After defeats to River Plate in Lima and Independiente del Valle in Quito, Argentine Fabian Bustos stepped down, and with Uruguayan Fossati now on the bench, they achieved two wins and a draw.
A win at the Monumental will see them advance as runners-up in the group, but with any other result, they'll have to wait for the outcome of the match between IDV and Barcelona, who play at the same time. At the very least, they'll qualify for the second tier Copa Sudamericana.
For this sixth matchday of Group B, Betfair has River Plate as a 1/3 favourite. A win for Universitario reaches 7/1, while a draw is 7/2.
Follow The Sporting News' predictions and tips below to get the edge over the bookies on this match.
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River Plate vs. Universitario prediction, tips, bet builder and odds
River Plate to score the first goal before half-time — 8/11 (Paddy Power)
Buoyed by their home fans and with a sense of expectation to win in their final match of this term at the Monumental, River will look for an early goal as is customary, whether at home or away. In five of their last matches, with Platense being the exception, they have achieved that feat and in fact scored the first goal of the match before the half-hour mark: Mastantuono (25') against Boca Juniors, Driussi (14') and Colidio (28') against Velez, and also against Barcelona (7' and 26'), Paulo Díaz (12') against Barracas Central, and Driussi again (8') against Independiente del Valle.
River Plate to win to nil — 13/10 (Betfair, 5/4)
Although River's main strength is currently their attacking verve, and they have had a recent habit of making costly mistakes at the back, this match seems an ideal one for goalkeeper Franco Armani to finish with a clean sheet. In addition to facing an opponent who struggles on the road and has lost 2-0 in their last two matches in the Peruvian League, when El Millonario has played at the Monumental, they have kept a clean sheet in three of their four most recent Copa Libertdaores matches — against Colo Colo and Atletico Mineiro last year and this year's 0-0 draw against Barcelona.
River Plate vs. Universitario predicted score and most likely results
River Plate are tipped up as favourites for this one, but there's some value to be had on the score market. Here's our look at the most likely results according to Paddy Power, who are offering £30 in free bets for a £5 stake if you sign up to bet as a new customer.
Copa Libertadores River Plate vs. Universitario match facts and how to watch
- Date: Tues, 27 May (local time - Weds, 28 May U.K.)
- Venue: El Monumental, Argentina
- Time: 21:30 (local, Argentina - 01:30 U.K. time)
- TV/Streaming: This game is not available live in the U.K., but select Copa Libertadores highlights are available via BBC IPlayer and on the CONMEBOL Libertadores YouTube channel
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