Lanus will make a trip to Ecuador to take on Independiente del Valle for the first leg of their Copa Sudamericana round-of-16 tie on Friday.
The hosts find themselves in South America’s secondary competition after dropping out of the Copa Libertadores group stage, while Lanus secured their spot in the final 16 by finishing at the summit of their group.
After emerging victorious in the Ecuadorian top flight last season with a 4-2 aggregate victory over Emelec in the final, Independiente del Valle earned an automatic spot in the Copa Libertadores group stage.
They began on the front foot with a victory over America Mineiro and draws against Deportes Tolima and Atletico Mineiro, but would see their advancement hopes take a hit following a defeat to Tolima.
A second straight loss away at Atletico Mineiro left them trailling second place by three points, and despite claiming another convincing win over America Mineiro, they failed to leapfrog Deportes Tolima and instead found themselves dropping into the Copa Sudamaricana.
Following that drop, Los Negriazules will hope to keep their hopes of continental success alive by taking a lead in the home leg of their round-of-16 tie on Friday.
Martin Anselmi’s side take on a Lanus side who will look to go further in the continent’s secondary tournament after topping their group.
Lanus began with a draw away at Metropolitanos before winning 3-1 at home to Barcelona SC to quickly place themselves in the fight for the one available spot in the knockout stage.
They strengthened their claim with a victory over Santiago Wanderers before a trip to Barcelona SC ended in a 1-1 stalemate.
A loss in their reverse against Santiago Wanderers left the Granate with work to do in the final round of matches, but they succeeded in a 1-0 victory over Metropolitanos.
Independiente del Valle vs Lanus head to head
The two teams have not previously met on any occasions, and this will be the first time they meet in a competitive match in the Copa Sudamericana.
Independiente del Valle latest home form
Independiente have recently been on a relatively good run of form at home, having lost just one of their five most recent matches. They defeated America Mineiro 3-0 in their last home game in the Copa Libertadores. In their last five matches, they have scored seven goals and conceded two.
Independiente Valle 2-0 Deportivo Cuenca 20/04/22
Independiente Valle 1-1 Atletico Mineiro 27/04/22
Independiente Valle 1-0 LDU Quito 02/05/22
Independiente Valle 0-1 Mushuc Runa 23/05/22
Independiente Valle 3-0 America Mineiro 26/05/22
Independiente del Valle latest away form
Independiente have recently been on a relatively good run of form on the road, having lost just one of their five most recent matches. They defeated Atletico Samborondon 2-0 in their last away game in the Copa Ecuador. In their last five matches, they have scored eight goals and conceded six.
Macara 0-1 Independiente Valle 10/05/22
Tecnico Universitario 2-3 Independiente Valle 15/05/22
Atletico Mineiro 3-1 Independiente Valle 20/05/22
9 de Octubre 1-1 Independiente Valle 30/05/22
Atletico Samborondon 0-2 Independiente Valle 24/06/22
Lanus latest home form
Lanus have recently been on a relatively good run of form at home, having lost just one of their seven most recent matches. They managed to defeat Colon 1-0 in their last home game in the league. In their last five matches, they have scored five goals and conceded three.
Lanus 1-0 Independiente 01/05/22
Lanus 1-2 Wanderers 20/05/22
Lanus 1-0 Metropolitanos 26/05/22
Lanus 1-1 Defensa y Justicia 11/06/22
Lanus 1-0 Colon 19/06/22
Lanus latest away form
Lanus have recently failed to keep a good run of form on the road, having been winless in their five most recent matches. They lost 2-1 to River Plate in their last away game in the league. In their last five matches, they have scored six goals and conceded eight.
Barcelona 1-1 Lanus 05/05/22
Central Cordoba SdE 3-3 Lanus 10/05/22
Rosario Central 0-0 Lanus 07/06/22
Atletico Tucuman 2-1 Lanus 15/06/22
River Plate 2-1 Lanus 26/06/22
Independiente del Valle news
Independiente Valle should continue to line up in a 3-4-3 formation, with Jonathan Bauman set to lead the line, having scored five goals so far this season.
Meanwhile, Luis Segovia, Mateo Carabajal and Richard Schunke should again line up in a back three in front of stopper Moises Ramirez.
Lanus news
Jose Manuel Lopez will depart the club for Palmeiras in July and could remain out of the squad until then, with Jose Sand continuing to be relied upon going forward.
Matias Perez and Brian Aguilar were both sent off in their league defeat to River Plate, but they will be eligible to feature on Friday.
Prediction and Odds
After only narrowly missing out on the Copa Libertadores knockout stage, Independiente del Valle will have a point to prove and will aim to take the first-leg advantage at home.
Lanus lost each of their two most recent away matches ane we see that trend extending in this contest ahead of the second leg.
Odds: 1 1.78 X 2.00 2 2.26
Probable outcomes
Independiente Valle 1-0 Lanus
Independiente Valle 2-0 Lanus
Independiente Valle 2-1 Lanus
Independiente Valle 3-1 Lanus
Independiente Valle 1-1 Lanus
