Copa Libertadores Final 2023 Predictions
7 min
The Copa Libertadores 2023 final is just around the corner. The biggest and most prestigious club competition in South American football will conclude on November 4 when Boca Juniors take on Fluminense at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
This has been another excellent edition of the Libertadores, which began on April 4 with the group stage. Thirty-two teams entered the tournament with representation from all 10 of the countries affiliated with CONMEBOL. Only two – one from Argentina and one from Brazil – are still standing as the showpiece event gets ever closer. In this article we have taken a look back through the Copa Libertadores 2023 and previewed what promises to be a fascinating final.
Copa Libertadores 2023 Results
Group A
| Rank | Team | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Outcome |
| 1 | Racing Club | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 6 | +7 | 13 | Round of 16 |
| 2 | Flamengo | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 5 | +6 | 11 | Round of 16 |
| 3 | Nublense | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 10 | -7 | 5 | Copa Sudamericana |
| 4 | Aucas | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 12 | -6 | 4 | Eliminated |
Group B
| Rank | Team | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Outcome |
| 1 | Internacional | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 6 | +4 | 12 | Round of 16 |
| 2 | Nacional | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 7 | +2 | 11 | Round of 16 |
| 3 | Independiente Medellin | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 9 | +1 | 10 | Copa Sudamericana |
| 4 | Metropolitanos | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 11 | -7 | 0 | Eliminated |
Group C
| Rank | Team | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Outcome |
| 1 | Palmeiras | 5 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 6 | +10 | 15 | Round of 16 |
| 2 | Bolivar | 4 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 7 | +4 | 12 | Round of 16 |
| 3 | Barcelona | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 12 | -5 | 4 | Copa Sudamericana |
| 4 | Cerro Porteno | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 14 | -9 | 4 | Eliminated |
Group D
| Rank | Team | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Outcome |
| 1 | Fluminense | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 6 | +4 | 10 | Round of 16 |
| 2 | River Plate | 3 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 10 | Round of 16 |
| 3 | Sporting Cristal | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 10 | -2 | 8 | Copa Sudamericana |
| 4 | The Strongest | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 7 | -2 | 6 | Eliminated |
Group E
| Rank | Team | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Outcome |
| 1 | Independiente del Valle | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 5 | +5 | 12 | Round of 16 |
| 2 | Argentinos Juniors | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 11 | Round of 16 |
| 3 | Corinthians | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 7 | Copa Sudamericana |
| 4 | Liverpool | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 12 | -8 | 4 | Eliminated |
Group F
| Rank | Team | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Outcome |
| 1 | Boca Juniors | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 2 | +7 | 13 | Round of 16 |
| 2 | Deportivo Pereira | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 8 | Round of 16 |
| 3 | Colo-Colo | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 6 | Copa Sudamericana |
| 4 | Monagas | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 | -5 | 5 | Eliminated |
Group G
| Rank | Team | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Outcome |
| 1 | Athletico Paranaense | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 13 | Round of 16 |
| 2 | Atletico Mineiro | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 10 | Round of 16 |
| 3 | Libertad | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 7 | -1 | 7 | Copa Sudamericana |
| 4 | Alianza Lima | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 9 | -6 | 4 | Eliminated |
Group G
| Rank | Team | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Outcome |
| 1 | Olimpia | 4 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 4 | +9 | 14 | Round of 16 |
| 2 | Atletico Nacional | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 10 | Round of 16 |
| 3 | Patronato | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 11 | -5 | 6 | Copa Sudamericana |
| 4 | Melgar | 1 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 13 | -4 | 4 | Eliminated |
Round of 16
| Match | First Leg | Second Leg | Aggregate |
| Atletico Nacional vs Racing Club | 4-2 | 0-3 | 4-5 |
| Bolivar vs Athletico Paranaense | 3-1 | 0-2 | 3-3 (5-4 pens) |
| Flamengo vs Olimpia | 1-0 | 1-3 | 2-3 |
| Atletico Mineiro vs Palmeiras | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-1 |
| Deportivo Pereira vs Independiente del Valle | 1-0 | 1-1 | 2-1 |
| Argentinos Juniors vs Fluminense | 1-1 | 0-2 | 1-3 |
| River Plate vs Internacional | 2-1 | 1-2 | 3-3 (8-9 pens) |
| Nacional vs Boca Juniors | 0-0 | 2-2 | 2-2 (2-4 pens) |
Quarter-finals
| Match | First Leg | Second Leg | Aggregate |
| Boca Juniors vs Racing | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 (4-1 pens) |
| Bolivar vs Internacional | 0-1 | 0-2 | 0-3 |
| Fluminense vs Olimpia | 2-0 | 3-1 | 5-1 |
| Deportivo Pereira vs Palmeiras | 0-4 | 0-0 | 0-4 |
Semi-finals
| Match | First Leg | Second Leg | Aggregate |
| Boca Juniors vs Palmeiras | 0-0 | 1-1 | 1-1 (4-2 pens) |
| Fluminense vs Internacional | 2-2 | 2-1 | 4-3 |
Final
The final of the Copa Libertadores 2023 will be contested by Boca Juniors of Argentina and Fluminense of Brazil on November 4.
Copa Libertadores Final Analysis
Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors are through to the Copa Libertadores final, but they had a mediocre season in the latest edition of Argentina’s Primeira Division, which finished at the end of July. Boca finished in seventh place, 17 points behind their rivals River Plate in top spot.
The Argentinian giants are managed by Jorge Almiron, who was appointed in April after the departure of Hugo Ibarra.
Their most well-known players are the former Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo, the ex-Argentina national team goalkeeper Sergio Romero, the Peruvian full-back Luis Advincula, the experienced striker Dario Benedetto, and the legendary Uruguayan Edinson Cavani.
Fluminense
Fluminense are also seventh in Brazil’s Serie A, which is ongoing. They are only three points adrift of the top four, however, and only five points behind Red Bull Bragantino in second spot.
The club from Rio de Janeiro are managed by Fernando Diniz, who is also the head coach of the Brazil national team on an interim basis. He has earned comparisons with Pep Guardiola for his attack-minded, possession-based style of play.
Fluminense’s squad includes fewer world-famous stars than that of Boca Juniors, but the 40-year-old Felipe Melo will be familiar to fans of the European game. Paulo Henrique Ganso is a former wonderkid who once starred alongside Neymar at Santos, while German Cano is in his mid-30s but continues to score goals on a regular basis.
Copa Libertadores Final Prediction
Up until 2018, the Copa Libertadores final was a two-legged affair. At that point they switched to a one-off game at a neutral venue. In 2020 the governing body confirmed that this year’s final would be held at the Maracana – Fluminense’s home stadium.
That gives the Brazilian team an advantage. They have only lost one of their last 17 home games in the Libertadores, with four wins and two draws in this season’s tournament when playing in front of their own fans.
Boca Juniors will have to make do without Exequiel Zeballos, but Luca Langoni and Marcelo Saracchi are expected to be fit at the time of writing.
Fluminense will be unable to call upon the services of Jorge, Alexsander and David Braz for the Copa Libertadores final.
Copa Libertadores Final Betting Tips
All prices mentioned in this section are correct at the time of writing. Please note that odds can change right up until kick-off. More markets, especially those related to individual players, will be made available nearer the time.
Live betting opportunities will be available once the match is under way, but please remember to gamble responsibly.
Fluminense are the favourites at a price of 2.00 to win the game, while Boca Juniors are available at 3.75. Those are the odds for a victory within 90 minutes.
There are plenty of other markets to explore too, some of which we will analyse below. Remember, it is always important to do your research on the two teams before placing your bets. Hopefully the above information on Boca Juniors and Fluminense should help in that regard.
Team Betting
- Over 2.5 goals is currently listed at 2.35, while under 2.5 goals can be chosen at 1.57. Two of the last four Libertadores finals featured just one goal, while the other two each contained three goals.
- The handicap market gives one of the teams an artificial advantage. If you think Fluminense will win by a two-goal margin or more, you should choose Flu with -1 handicap at 4.01. The equivalent bet for Boca Juniors is priced at 10.08.
- As well as predicting the final outcome, you can choose which team you reckon will win a particular half (the draw is also an option).
- Both teams to score is always a popular choice. The Betsson sportsbook offers 2.04 for yes and 1.71 for no.
Player Betting
- With 12 goals to his name so far, Fluminense forward German Cano is the top scorer in this year’s Copa Libertadores. You could back him, Boca Juniors attacker Edinson Cavani or any other player as a first goalscorer, last goalscorer and anytime goalscorer.
- Alternatively, you can tip a player to provide an assist in the Copa Libertadores final. John Kennedy and Keno of Fluminense have four assists to their name up to now and could be astute selections.
- There will also be opportunities to tip a particular player to receive a yellow or red card – a good choice, perhaps, for tough-tackling defenders or midfielders.
Copa Libertadores: Brazil vs Argentina
Brazil and Argentina are the two strongest footballing countries in South America. This is true at national team level – the Selecao have won a record five of the big ones, while the Albiceleste are three-time champions – and in the club game too.
Brazilian teams have met Argentinian outfits in 15 Copa Libertadores finals before this year. Sides from Brazil have won six of those contests, while Argentinian teams have triumphed on nine occasions.
Boca Juniors and Fluminense have played each other six times, with all of those games taking place in the Copa Libertadores.
In the 2008 semi-finals, a 2-2 draw in the first leg was followed by a 3-1 victory for Fluminense in the return fixture. However, the Brazilian team suffered defeat by LDU Quito of Ecuador in the final.
Four years later the two teams locked horns in the group stage. Fluminense won in Buenos Aires and Boca Juniors triumphed in Rio de Janeiro, with Flu going on to finish top of the group by two points.
Unusually, the sides were also drawn against each other in the quarter-finals of that season’s Libertadores. Boca Juniors were victorious in the first leg by one goal to nil, and a 1-1 draw six days later secured their progression to the semis and led to Fluminense’s elimination.
On November 4, Fluminense and Boca Juniors will face off for a seventh time – and this is undoubtedly the most significant head-to-head clash the pair have ever contested.
PS: Odds might have changed since publication.
