Internacional faces decisive game against Nacional for survival in the Libertadores

Internacional will take to the field this Thursday for the most decisive match of the year so far. At 7pm, at the Parque Central stadium in Montevideo, the team from Rio Grande do Sul will face Nacional-URU in the fifth round of Group F of the Copa Libertadores. Both teams are under pressure, in a delicate position in the table and with a real chance of early elimination.

The team from Rio Grande do Sul is in third place with five points, one more than Nacional, who are in last place with four. In the previous round, Inter were defeated 3-1 by Atlético Nacional, while the Uruguayans beat Bahia by the same score. The balance of the group keeps all the clubs in the fight for a place in the round of 16, which intensifies the importance of tonight's duel.

In the meeting between the two in the third round, in Porto Alegre (RS), there was a 3-3 draw. Now, Inter's challenge will be to overcome the taboo of not having won outside Rio Grande do Sul this season. In seven away matches, there were four draws and three defeats, with victories only in the Campeonato Gaúcho.

Coach Roger Machado is expected to maintain the core of the starting lineup, with Alan Patrick, a technical standout and team leader, expected to be present. Recovered from a muscle injury, Rafael Borré trained normally and could be an option in attack, even with a chance of starting in the starting eleven, replacing Enner Valência.

“It's the most decisive game of the year and we're going to find solutions to get a win away from home and stay alive in the competition, which is very important for us,” said the coach.

On the Uruguayan side, coach Pablo Peirano should repeat the formation that beat Bahia, betting on defensive consistency and the experience of players like Nico López, formerly of Internacional. The striker, who had a good spell at the Rio Grande do Sul club, will be a starter.

“We know the importance and urgency that Inter has, but we are at home, with our fans, and we will play with courage and intelligence to leave with the three points,” said Peirano.

TECHNICAL SHEET

NATIONAL X INTERNATIONAL

NATIONAL – Mejía; Morales, Calione, Coates, Millán and Gabriel Báez; Oliva, Boggio, Villalba and Recoba; Nico López. Coach: Pablo Peirano.

INTERNATIONAL – Anthoni; Aguirre, Vitão, Victor Gabriel and Bernabéi; Fernando, Thiago Maia, Bruno Henrique and Alan Patrick; Wesley and Borré. Coach: Roger Machado.

REFEREE – Piero Maza (CHI).

TIME – 7pm.

LOCATION – Parque Central Stadium, in Montevideo, Uruguay.