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- Could River Plate and Boca Juniors meet in the Copa Sudamericana?
Could River Plate and Boca Juniors meet in the Copa Sudamericana?
River Plate secured first place in their group and a direct berth in the Round of 16 of the Copa Sudamericana, but there is still a chance that the competition could produce another international Superclásico against Boca Juniors.
River Plate secured first place in their group and a direct berth in the Round of 16 of the Copa Sudamericana, but there is still a chance that the competition could produce another international Superclásico against Boca Juniors.
Eduardo Coudet’s side is already waiting to learn which playoff bracket will produce its Round of 16 opponent, while Boca’s continental future remains undecided.
What needs to happen for River Plate to face Boca Juniors?
The key lies in Boca Juniors’ position in the Copa Libertadores.
Before the final matchday of the group stage, Boca sit third in Group D with seven points, trailing Cruzeiro by one point and Universidad Católica by three.
If Boca finish third in their Libertadores group, they will not be eliminated from continental competition. Instead, they will drop into the Copa Sudamericana Playoffs, where the third-place teams from Libertadores face the runners-up from Sudamericana for a place in the Round of 16.
Should Boca advance through that playoff round and land on River’s side of the bracket, an international Superclásico would become a real possibility.
How are the Copa Sudamericana Playoffs determined?
Unlike other stages of the tournament, the playoff matchups are not decided by a draw.
CONMEBOL creates two rankings:
- Copa Sudamericana group runners-up are ranked from 9 to 16.
- Copa Libertadores third-place finishers are ranked from 17 to 24.
The matchups are then determined by sporting merit:
- 9 vs 24
- 10 vs 23
- 11 vs 22
- 12 vs 21
- 13 vs 20
- 14 vs 19
- 15 vs 18
- 16 vs 17
The higher-ranked team earns the advantage of hosting the second leg.
