Rosario Central (Argentina) vs Corinthians (Brazil)
Rosario Central finished their Group H campaign with a 1–0 away defeat to Independiente del Valle, which saw them drop to second place with 13 points, behind their final opponents on the head-to-head tiebreaker. On Friday, El Canalla defeated Aldosivi 2–1 at home to reach seven points from four Torneo Clausura matches, moving into the playoff qualification places in Group B. They are now unbeaten in their last three matches (two wins and one draw). At home, Central are unbeaten in their last 11 matches, recording eight wins and three draws. All of Jorge Almirón’s regular starters are available for Thursday. SC Corinthians took their foot off the gas after securing top spot in the group, losing 2–0 at home to Club Atlético Platense on the final matchday to finish Group E with 11 points. On Sunday, Fernando Diniz’s side defeated Red Bull Bragantino 2–0 away to climb to seventh in the Brasileirao with 32 points from 22 matches. O Timão have lost only one of their last seven matches across all competitions (four wins and two draws). Away, they have recorded two wins, two draws and one defeat in their last five. Yuri Alberto, André and Kayke will miss Thursday’s match through injury, while Memphis Depay has been left out amid his contractual dispute. Too many important missings for Corinthians in attack including dutch striker Memphis Depay who left the club so I’ll go with Rosario Central to win this first leg.