Ultimate Showdown between Club Deportivo Palestino and Cuiabá Esporte Clube - Sports

Preview of Copa Sudamericana Clash

Sports Mole previews Thursday 's Copa Sudamericana clash between Club Deportivo Palestino and Cuiabá Esporte Clube , including predictions , team news , and possible lineups . The knockout fixtures kick off with Palestino hosting Cuiaba at Estadio Ester Roa in the round of 32 clash . Palestino suffered a 3 - 1 defeat against Bolivar in their final Copa Libertadores match , leading them to this tournament . On the other hand , Dourado finished second in Group G of the Sudamericana , securing a 1 - 0 victory against Lanus in their final group game.

Palestino 's Recent Performance

 Some self - inflicted wounds in their decisive match with Bolivar were ultimately too much for Palestino to overcome as own - goals from Jose Bizama and Ariel Martinez proved costly . Throughout the group phase of the Libertadores , they often reacted too late , with four of their six goals scored coming in the final 45 minutes.

After a shaky start in the Libertadores , Palestino improved defensively , winning their final two matches at home by a combined margin of 4 - 1 . Despite reaching this stage after finishing third in their Libertadores group , this is their best performance in the Sudamericana since 2016 when they were knocked out in the quarter - finals by San Lorenzo.

Cuiaba 's Strong Performance

For the first time in their Sudamericana history , Cuiaba advanced beyond the group phase undefeated . They were solid defensively throughout the group stage , conceding one goal or less in each game and securing two clean sheets as visitors . Cuiaba 's consistency has been evident in their recent top - flight contests , earning points in seven of their last eight matches.

Team News and Possible Lineups

It is unlikely that Palestino 's manager Lucas Bovaglio will have Nicolas Meza available due to injury . Felipe Chamorro and Cesar Rigamonti will be key players for Palestino in the upcoming clash . On the other hand , Cuiaba will be missing Matheus Alexandre due to injury , but Isidro Pitta , Fernando Sobral , and Deyverson will be crucial attacking options for the Brazilian side.

The possible starting lineups for both teams are as follows:

- Palestino : Rigamonti ; Rojas , Roman , Suarez , Zuniga ; Abrigo , Linares , Davila : Carrasco , Marabel , Benitez

- Cuiaba : Walter ; Railan , Marllon , Empereur , Ramon ; Cafu , Sobral , Mineiro , Augusto , Lacerda ; Pitta

Prediction

Given the history of both teams in the competition and their recent performances , we predict a tense and low - scoring affair with a final score of Palestino 0 - 0 Cuiaba . Both sides will aim to avoid defeat in this crucial Copa Sudamericana clash.