The 2019 Copa Libertadores is the 60th edition of South America’s top tier club football tournament which is organized by CONMEBOL.
A total of 47 teams from 10 associations across South America started the qualifying stage last January 22, 2019. With the conclusion of the group stages last May 9th, only 16 teams remain and they will advance to the final stage of the 2019 Copa Libertadores competition.
Here are the seedings for the 16 teams who remain in contention to win the 2019 Copa Libertadores:
The teams were then seeded according to their results in the group stages with the #1-8 seeds representing the 8 group winners and the #9-16 seeds representing the 8 group runners-up. They were then paired based on their pot assignments with Pot 1 representing the 1-8 seeds and Pot 2 representing the 9-16 seeds.
Here are the pairings and the schedule of matches for the final stages of the 2019 Copa Libertadores:
| Team 1 | Match | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| River Plate | A | Cruzeiro | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Godoy Cruz | B | Palmeiras | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Emelec | C | Flamengo | 24 Jul | 31 Jul |
| LDU Quito | D | Olimpia | 23 Jul | 30 Jul |
| Athletico Paranaense | E | Boca Juniors | 24 Jul | 31 Jul |
| Nacional | F | Internacional | 24 Jul | 31 Jul |
| Grêmio | G | Libertad | 25 Jul | 1 Aug |
| San Lorenzo | H | Cerro Porteño | 24 Jul | 31 Jul |
River Plate upset 2nd seeded Cruzeiro in the Round of 16 while 4th seeded Cerro Porteno advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating #13 San Lorenzo. River Plate beat Cerro Porteno in the quarterfinals to advance to the semifinals.
In the second pairing Boca Juniors and LDU Quito advanced to the quarterfinals with a win over Athletico Paranaense and Olimpia, respectively. In the quarters, it was Boca Juniors who prevailed to advance to the final four against River Plate. Match 1 will be on October 1st while the second round will be played on October 22. The winner will advance to the final.
Meanwhile, top-seeded and soccer betting favorites Palmeiras faced Gremio in the quarterfinals after they beat Godoy Cruz and Libertad, respectively in the Round of 16. Gremio pulled off an upset, defeating Palmeiras via the away goals rule.
Flamengo triumphed over Emelec in the Round of 16 while Internacional defeated Nacional in their own Round of 16 assignment. In the quarterfinals, Flamengo won over Internacional to advance to the semifinals against Gremio. These teams will play on October 2 and October 23, 2019 with the winner also advancing to the final.
The two semifinal winners will play in the final on November 23, 2019 at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago.
Here are the odds to win the 2019 Copa Libertadores. Odds were taken from from TitanBet as of 9/30/19:
Flamengo won the Copa Libertadores in 1981. The 35-time Campeonato Carioca winners and 2018 Serie A second placers were the top finishers in Group D. They finished with three wins, one draw and two losses for 10 points. Flamengo will take on upset-minded Gremio in the semifinals.
Boca Juniors finished on top of the Argentinian Super League 2017-18 to put themselves in classification for the 2019 Copa Libertadores. Boca Juniors lost to fellow Argentinian side River Plate 5-3 in the final. Boca Juniors finished on top of Group G with a total of three wins, two draws and one loss in six games for a total of 11 points. They will face River Plate in the semis.
CA River Plate finished second in Group A with two wins and four draws for ten points in six matches played. They defeated Boca Juniors 5-3 in the final of the 2019 Copa Libertadores classification. River Plate enters this matchup with confidence as they meet Boca Juniors again in semifinals.
Gremio FB Porto Alegrense finished second behind Libertad in Group H with three wins, one draw and two losses for 10 points. Gremio pulled off the biggest win so far in the 2019 Copa Libertadores when they defeated top seeded and favorite Palmeiras on the away goals rule.
After the quarterfinals, Flamengo is now the betting favorite to win the 2019 Copa Libertadores. Flamengo has continued to advance by the slimmest of margins. They finished with a middling 3-1-2 record in the first round but topped Group D via Goal Differential, breaking a three-way tie on top. Then they beat Emelec on penalties after their two matches ended 2-2 in aggregates.
In the semifinals, Flamengo faces Gremio, a team which it has beaten in their last three meetings. Flamengo is currently on top of the Brazilian Serie A and they have not lost in their last 10 matches. Their strong play in the Serie A plus their success in the Copa Libertadores makes them as solid favorites to win the 2019 Copa Libertadores. Whoever wins in the other semifinal bracket will be a tough test for Flamengo but given their recent form, I’m picking Flamengo to win the tournament. Prediction: Flamengo
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