Day: May 14, 2018

This game’s first leg ended in an unlikely away win for the host, so it is advantage Villa ahead of this return leg. Mile Jedinak’s header sealed a crucial 1-0 victory for the Birmingham club in the 1st Leg at the Riverside. Boro had spells of pressure but couldn’t break down a very disciplined Villa side that thwarted the threat of old boy Adama Traore.

Villa only need to avoid losing for them to go through to the final in Wembley, but that would be a terrible way of thinking for Steve Bruce’s men who seem to have a more creative team with Jack Grealish pulling the strings from midfield, and he did that excellently in the first leg.

Boro struggled to create clear-cut chances in the first leg and that was largely down to Villa making Adama Traore ineffective.

The Teessiders would have to come up with another game plan in this second leg if they want to stand any chance of beating Villa at home. Boro have won just two of their last 9 away games and that doesn’t send any fear to the camp of Aston Villa ahead of this match.

However, Villa haven’t beaten Middlesbrough in any of the last five times they have hosted them, losing two and drawing three.

In-form River Plate hosts their city rivals San Lorenzo in this match that is expected to set the city on fire. The home side would feel they need the points more than their visitors and should pick all of them up here.

River are looking to qualify for next season’s Copa Sudamericana, however, they also have the chance to qualify for the  Libertadores by the end of the season if they can finish 6th and one of the teams win the continental competition they are competing in this year.

Victory at all cost is what River Plate would be gunning for in this game and their fans would be very positive that they can get it after seeing their team rise from the 21st position on the league table to where they are now.

San Lorenzo are not playing their best football at the moment and they would be coming into this game with some tired legs after they managed to hang on against Brazil’s Atletico Mineiro to progress in the Copa Sudamericana in midweek.

Coming into this clash, the side have won just 2 of their 8 away games across all competitions this year, also failing to score in the last two, and that has their prospects looking bleak, particularly taking into account the changes set to be made.