Thursday's Copa Sudamericana predictions including Racing Club vs. Athletico Paranaense

Racing vs. Athletico PR (Friday, 1.30am)

Racing Club and Athletico Paranaense return to action in the Copa Sudamericana when they go head to head at the Estadio Presidente Peron in the second leg of their quarter-final clash on Friday morning.

Having suffered a 1-0 first-leg defeat in Brazil last Friday, La Academia will head into the midweek clash looking to overturn the one-goal deficit and keep their dreams of a first Sudamericana title alive.

We say: Racing Club 1-1 Athletico Paranaense

Atletico Paranaense have their sights fixed on the Copa Sudamericana as they look to make up for their underwhelming domestic campaign. However, Gonzalez's men take on a Racing side who have been tough to crack at home and will be looking to find their feet after a difficult few weeks.

While we expect Racing to go all out at the Estadio Presidente Peron, we predict Paranaense will do just enough to frustrate the hosts and hold out for a share of the spoils to win the tie on aggregate.

Cruzeiro vs. Libertad (Friday, 1.30am)

Cruzeiro will host Club Libertad at Mineirao for the second leg of their Copa Sudamericana quarterfinal tie on Friday.

The hosts hold a 2-0 advantage in this tie after scoring two first-half goals to secure a victory in the first leg at Estadio Defensores del Chaco last Thursday.

We say: Cruzeiro 2-1 Club Libertad (Cruzeiro advances 4-1 on aggregate)

Cruzeiro have demonstrated resilience at home in the Sudamericana and are well-positioned to capitalize on their first-leg advantage against Club Libertad.

With the visitors struggling to score goals and conceding as much as they create, we anticipate a defeat for them in this match.