Match of the year in South America: Boca on the verge of a record, Fluminense dream of the first crown

Argentina vs. Brazil, legends vs. rising stars, Edinson Cavani vs Marcelo, Boca Juniors vs. Fluminense... On Saturday, November 4, the battle for Copa Libertadores climaxes. It is the end of a nine-month campaign to find the best club on the continent. The action began in February at 3,259 meters above sea level at the Huancayo Stadium in Peru with the first qualifying match, and the competition will reach a crescendo at the iconic Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

The last three finals have been all-Brazilian, but the 64th edition has a little more spice and offers another chapter in the football rivalry between Argentina and Brazil. Flu will try to win the Copa Libertadores title for the first time in the club's history. The only appearance of the team from Rio in the final was in 2008, where Flu was defeated by LDU Quito at the very Maracana. Exactly 15 years later, Fluminense once again gained a huge advantage by not only playing in their home city, but in their home stadium.

However, Rio de Janeiro is expected to host up to 110,000 Boca Juniors fans who will be either in the stadium or in the fan zone at Copacabana Beach.

"Our fans will fill the whole stadium, as we are used to. Wherever we go, there are always a lot of people. They are very fanatical and crazy. We feel the support. It seems to me that we are the hosts everywhere," said Valentin Barco.

While the Brazilian team is relatively sporadic in the fight for the most important cup in South America, Boca Juniors won it six times and are looking to level with Independiente de Avellaneda's long-standing record of seven titles. The Genoese have been chasing the trophy since 2007 and will be looking to erase the memories of their infamous defeat to the hated River Plate in 2018, in a doubleheader that ended in Madrid due to fan violence in Buenos Aires.

This is the 12th Copa Libertadores final for Boca Juniors. They won six times between 1977 and 2007 and lost five finals, including her last two appearances in 2012 and 2018. Fluminense are looking to become the 26th different team to win the biggest continental trophy and the first new winner since San Lorenzo in 2014. The four-time Brazilian champions are probably the biggest club without the most valuable trophy in their display cases.

Clash between Boca and Fluminense supporters ahead of the Copa Libertadores final

The winner of the game will represent South America at the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia in December, where they could potentially face Manchester City in the final. The South American and European champions go directly to the respective semi-finals, and have met in 12 of the last 18 tournament showpieces.

If there is a draw after 90 minutes of play, an additional 30 minutes will be played and penalties may follow. Boca have won all three Copa Libertadores finals on penalties, scoring 11 of 12 from the penalty spot on their way to beating Cruzeiro in 1977, Palmeiras in 2000 and Cruz Azul in 2001. In their only appearance in the final, Fluminense lost 3-1 on penalties against LDU Quito in 2008.

WELL-KNOWN FACES AND RISING STARS

The subplots are fascinating. The two first goalkeepers of the protagonists are almost 80 years old combined, Marcelo will try to make history by winning the two major cups of Europe and South America, Frank Fabra will guard his close friend and teammate from the national team of Colombia Jhon Arias, two super talented players Valentin Barco and Andre will compete, and the attack of the two teams is entrusted to the top scorer of the tournament with 12 goals German Cano and the legendary Edinson Cavani.

Fluminense defender Marcelo is bidding to become only the 15th player to win both the Copa Libertadores and the Champions League, which he won five times with Real Madrid.

"I don't consider myself a renowned player who has many titles. I always think about the present, and now I'm enjoying one of the best moments of my life, playing the final with Fluminense. What I did in the past is over. What gives me joy and motivation every day is the current moment," said the 35-year-old, who started his career at Fluminense before moving to Spain.

At the same time, two former Manchester United players are likely to start for Boca Juniors - goalkeeper Sergio Romero and striker Edinson Cavani. The third, defender Marcos Rojo, is suspended. At 36, Romero will be the younger of the two custodians. Fluminense's no.1 is 43-year-old Fabio, who has never won the Copa Libertadores.

ALL THE WINNERS OF THE COPA LIBERTADORES

7 - Independente

6 - Boca Juniors

5 - Peñarol

4 - River Plate, Estudiantes

3 - Olimpia, Nacional, Sao Paulo, Palmeiras, Santos, Gremio, Flamengo

2 - Cruzeiro, Internacional, Atlético Nacional

1 - Colo Colo, Racing, Argentinos Juniors, Velez, Vasco, Once Caldas, LDU Quito, Corinthians, Atlético Mineiro, San Lorenzo

IT'S DEFENCE FIRST FOR BOCA

Achieving the record is within reach of the Genoese. One game and the entire season is saved. That would be of great benefit to Boca. The year has been below average so far.

Jorge Almiron has been the coach of the Bombonera team since the beginning of April. In 42 appearances, he recorded 17 wins and 12 losses. The goal difference is 50:37. That does not sound convincing for the manager of the giants from Buenos Aires. However, the man from San Miguel stabilized the blue and yellow team. Boca is not spectacular, but they are compact. They don't play appealing football, but are deadly effective. At least when they concentrate. And the focus seems to be clearly on the Copa Libertadores.

In the domestic championship, the team lags behind, but in contrast, in the South American elite, it has overcome every obstacle so far. Penalties were necessary three times in a row and that is why many consider Boca Juniors an underdog against Fluminense.

After a relatively safe victory in the group stage ahead of Pereira, Colo Colo and Monagas, a duel with Nacional from Uruguay followed. After a 0-0 draw in Montevideo, it ended 2-2 in Buenos Aires and the first test of nerves ended in favor of the Genoese.

Then came the Argentinian duel with Racing. Both the first match and the second leg ended without goals. Here, too, the decision was decided from the penalty spot. All four blue-yellow shooters hit the target, and that earned Boca a meeting with Palmeiras.

That clash wasn't much different, two tied results (0-0 and 1-1) and therefore penalties again. After Cavani missed, the others scored, but Palmeiras made too many mistakes and will watch the final on TV. So Boca were not necessarily better than the opponent, but they were cold-blooded. That can be worth its weight in gold, especially in the final. Boca are the first club to reach the final without a win since the group stage.

FLU ARE THE MOST DANGEROUS IN THE LAST 15 MINUTES

Flu could finally reach one of the most significant milestones in the club's history - the Copa Libertadores trophy can come to the green and red part of Rio. But the opponent is unpleasant. Both nationally and internationally, Flu seems extremely pragmatic. We rarely saw a lot of goals at their matches. They often play just as much as needed. Although, the question now arises whether the defeats of Fernando Diniz's team against Bahia 0-1, Atletico Mineiro 0-2, RB Bragantino 0-1 and Botafogo 0-2 were only due to focus on the continental competition. A dip in form would now come at the worst possible time.

Unlike their rivals, Flu always scored more goals than his opponent. So far they did not have to go to penalties. In the group stage, the team from Rio was placed with River Plate, Sporting Cristal and The Strongest. In the end, the goal difference was decisive against the Millionaires. In the knockout duels, Argentinos Juniors were eliminated first with 1-1 and 2-0.

Olimpia from Paraguay were then defeated 2-0 and 3-1, and in the Brazilian semi-final Internacional lost 2-2 and 1-2. Performances in rematches were always impressive. Flu scored goals in the final parts of the match. Argentinos Juniors conceided two goals in the 86th and seventh minutes of stoppage time, Olimpia in the 80th and 91st, and Internacional in the 81st and 87th minutes.

IS THERE AN ACTUAL FAVORITES IN THIS SHOWPIECE?

Fluminense go into the final as favourites, and not just because of home advantage. An early indication of the team's potential was set in the third round of the group stage by demolishing River Plate 5-1. Fluminense scored 22 goals in the competition, including 12 in the knockout stages. Boca Juniors have had a troubled path to the final, reflecting a volatile domestic season in which the team has just 11 points after 11 games.

The Genoese relied on penalties in the knockout stages and scored just 12 goals during the tournament, a third of which came in just one game. However, the defense conceded only five times.

Flu and Boca have already met six times in the Copa Libertadores, with two wins for each side and two draws. When they met in the knockout stages, the Brazilians won in the semi-finals in 2008 and the Argentines in the quarter-finals in 2012.

The ruler of South America will receive a check for about 16,700,000 euros, while the defeated finalist will collect about 6,500,000.