One of South America’s most successful clubs will take on a potential first-time champion for continental glory on Saturday.
Boca Juniors and Fluminense will head to Rio de Janeiro to duke it out for the Copa Libertadores title, and a spot at December’s Club World Cup. The winner will enter the World Cup at the semifinal stage, and face one of Al-Ittihad, Auckland City, or Al Ahly, but before that have to get through each other for one of the sport’s top prizes.
Here’s what you need to know before tuning into the final.
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How to watch
- Date: Saturday, Nov. 4 | Time: 4 p.m. ET
- Location: Maracana — Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- TV: beIN Sports | Live stream: Fanatiz, fubo (try for free)
Storylines
Boca: The Argentine side had a pretty straightforward path to the knockout stages, but it has not been easy sailing since. Boca advanced on penalties in each of their knockout ties, most recently prevailing over Palmeiras after playing to a 1-1 aggregate score after two games. Edinson Cavani scored in the second leg of that series, but the red card Marcos Rojo picked up in the previous game means he will miss Saturday’s final.
Fluminense: The Brazilians just edged out River Plate for top spot in their group, but won by fairly comfortable margins against Argentinos Juniors and Olimpia in the round of 16 and quarterfinals, respectively. They just toppled fellow Brazilian team Internacional by a 4-3 scoreline in the semifinals, overcoming Samuel Xavier’s suspension courtesy of three goals from German Cano. He is the tournament’s top scorer with 12 goals this season, and will be counted on to lift his side to their first Copa Libertadores title.
Prediction
Fluminense have only gained momentum as the tournament has progressed, and it can be hard to bet against a side boasting the most in-form goalscorer of the competition. A historic day for Fluminense just might be in the cards. Prediction: Boca Juniors 1, Fluminense 2