Botafogo vs Racing – News and Probable Lineups

Botafogo has a chance to almost secure advancement to the knockout stages of the Copa Sudamericana when they face Racing Club at Nilton Santos Stadium on Thursday morning.

If they triumph in front of their fans, Glorioso will create a six-point lead over the Argentinians, who are in third place, as they head into the final two matchdays.

Match overview

Botafogo is set to return to continental action after a disappointing outing in front of their supporters last weekend, where they suffered a 2-1 defeat against Clube do Remo in the Brasileirao Serie A.

Nahuel Ferraresi struck first in the 13th minute, giving the hosts an ideal start as they went into halftime ahead. However, Alef Manga and Jaja turned the tide for Remo after the break.

This loss saw Botafogo drop to 10th place in the standings and marked the first defeat under head coach Franclim Carvalho, who had achieved four victories and three draws in his first seven games in charge.

On the Sudamericana front, the Brazilian side had maintained an unbeaten record in the tournament, with two wins from their last two fixtures propelling them to the summit of Group E with seven points from a possible nine.

After starting the competition with a 1-1 draw against Caracas, Botafogo went on to claim a 3-2 win over Racing Club on April 15 and followed it up with a 3-0 victory against Independiente Petrolero at home, placing them two points ahead of Caracas in the runners-up position.

As they approach the last matches before the World Cup, this will be Glorioso’s penultimate home fixture before the international tournament. Carvalho’s squad will meet Corinthians in Serie A on May 17, followed by six away matches across various competitions including the league, Sudamericana, and Copa do Brasil.

Racing’s qualification for the last-16 of the Argentine Primera Division has emphasized the club’s challenges this season, as they managed to secure their spot in the knockout phase only due to the shortcomings of Barracas Central, Tigre, and Sarmiento in the final round of the first phase.

With Barracas and Sarmiento experiencing defeats, along with Tigre drawing with Rosario Central, Racing finished 16th with 21 points from 16 matches after a goalless draw against Huracan at El Cilindro, only outpacing Instituto De Cordoba and Barracas on goal difference.

As they prepare for the next hurdle in the domestic knockout stage against reigning champions Estudiantes, Racing Club aims to break a six-game winless streak across all competitions and remain in the hunt for a place in the Sudamericana knockout phase.

Champions of the continental competition in 2024 after defeating Cruzeiro in the final, the Academia will look to draw motivation from their strong record against Brazilian sides, having garnered eight wins and two draws in 14 encounters against Brasileirao opponents.

Team News

Botafogo faced another injury setback against Remo over the weekend, with Allan departing with a thigh issue, and he is likely to miss Thursday’s continental encounter.

Alexander Barboza, who was omitted from the earlier match due to ongoing transfer discussions with Palmeiras, is also uncertain; however, Franclim may choose to include the defender in the squad for Thursday’s fixture.

Kaio Pantaleao and 21-year-old forward Nathan Fernandes are both recovering from knee and thigh injuries respectively and will not feature for Botafogo.

For Racing, the latest injury concern is right-back Ezequiel Cannavo, who had to leave the game against Huracan early due to a muscle issue.

His immediate backup, Gaston Martirena, is also dealing with an injury but may return at Estadio Nilton Santos, while Elias Torres (cruciate ligament) and Valentin Carboni (ligament) are confirmed absentees.

Botafogo probable starting XI:

Raul; Vitinho, Bastos, Barboza, Telles; Allan, Danilo; Santos, Edenilson, Martins; Cabral.

Racing Club probable starting XI:

Cambeses; Martirena, Colombo, Rojo, Rojas; Zuculini, Forneris Rodriguez; Solari, Zaracho, Martinez

Botafogo will be hopeful of securing a favorable outcome on Thursday as they compete against a Racing side that has struggled to find form this season, going six matches without a win.

Conversely, the Glorioso has shown vulnerabilities in defense, with goals being scored by both teams in eight of their last ten fixtures, and we anticipate Racing will aim for a positive result, likely leading to a shared outcome.