Independiente Rivadavia and Fluminense will meet again with a place in the cuartos de final on the line after a 0-0 draw in the first leg of their Copa Libertadores octavos de final tie at the Maracaná. The return match will be played at the Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, where Independiente Rivadavia now has the chance to turn a strong start to its first participation in the tournament into something even bigger.
For Independiente Rivadavia, this is the kind of night that can define a campaign. The club made a dream group stage in its first Copa Libertadores appearance, and now it is one match away from reaching the eight best teams in South America. After holding Fluminense in Brazil, the Argentine side returns home with the tie still open and the margin for error still very small.
Fluminense arrives with a new coach
This week, Fluminense dismissed Luis Zubeldía, and Marcao took charge on an interim basis. He will now direct Fluminense at the Estadio Malvinas Argentinas as the Brazilian club tries to keep its continental run alive. The change adds another layer to a match that was already significant, since both teams know the winner moves closer to the cuartos de final.
For Independiente Rivadavia coach Alfredo Berti, the assignment is straightforward even if the task is difficult: put his team into the quarterfinals. The draw in Rio de Janeiro gave his side a real chance, but the return leg will demand the same discipline that carried it through the first match.
With the tie level at 0-0, everything is still to play for. Independiente Rivadavia has home advantage, Fluminense has a new interim leader, and the reward is a spot among the best eight teams on the continent. That is the simple equation heading into the deciding match in Argentina.
