Nacional and Boca Juniors will get their Copa Libertadores knockout stage adventure underway when they lock horns againt each other at the Gran Parque Central on Wednesday in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie.
Under the management of Alvaro Gutierrez, Nacional have had mixed fortunes in the Uruguayan Primera Division Torneo Intermedio campaign as they finished third in the table and missed out on the final, and they will hope for better luck on the continental stage.
They earned their spot in the knockout round by edging out Independiente Medellin by a mere point in Group B. The hosts come into this clash as underdogs, but will fancy their chances to get a headstart in the two-legged contest on home turf against a Boca side that has failed to progress past the last 16 stage in the last two editions of Copa Libertadores.
As for the visitors, they had a strong Copa Libertadores group stage run earlier in the season, finishing at the top of Group F to book their knockout place.
The reigning Argentina champions have also recovered from a dismal start to their domestic campaign, and are riding a crest wave of momentum under head coach Jorge Almiron, winning each of their last five games by an aggregate score-line of 10-3.
Here GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
Nacional vs Boca Juniors kick-off time
| Date: | August 2, 2023 |
| Kick-off time: | 8 pm ET/ 5 pm PT |
| Venue: | Estadio Gran Parque Central |
The Copa Libertadores round of 16 first-leg between Nacional and Boca Juniors is scheduled for August 2, 2023, at the Estadio Gran Parque Central, Montevideo, Uruguay. It will kick off at 8 pm ET in the United States.
How to watch Nacional vs Boca Juniors online - TV channels & live streams
 | beIN SPORTS | Watch here |
 | Fanatiz | Watch here |
 | fuboTV | Watch here |
 | Sling TV | Watch here |
The game will be broadcast live on TV on beIN SPORTS and available to stream live online through Fanatiz and Sling TV.
Team news & squads
Nacional team news
Nacional head coach Alvaro Gutierrez will head into the game without long-term absentees Francisco Ginella and Renzo Sanchez, while Club Leon loanee Federico Martinez has left the club after his loan expiry. Otherwise, he has no fresh injury concerns to cope with, and could go with a 4-2-3-1 formation for this fixture.
Arguably Nacional's standout performer this season after bagging 12 goals across all competitions, former Uruguayan youth international Ignacio Ramirez will continue to spearhead the hosts' attack here, with support from the attacking trio of Diego Zabala, Gaston Pereiro, and Franco Fagundez.
Nacional possible XI: Rochet; Lozano, Polenta, Noguera, Candido; Y Rodriguez, D Rodriguez; Fagundez, Zabala, Pereiro; Ramirez
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Rochet, Ichazo, Machado |
| Defenders: | Lozano, Polenta, Noguera, Candido, Perg, Velazquez, Lozano |
| Midfielders: | Y Rodriguez, D Rodriguez, Chagas, Montiel, Cartagena, Morales, Pereiro, Monzeglio |
| Forwards: | Ramirez, Martinez, Trezza, Zabala, Fagundez |
Boca Juniors team news
Boca Juniors will make the trip to Uruguay without the injured trio of Gonzalo Morales, Luca Langoni and Gabriel Aranda.
Jorge Almiron's side have gained a reputation for their free-scoring performances in the final third in recent weeks, and that is unlikely to stop anytime soon, especially after the acquisition of veteran Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani from Valencia last week. It remains to be seen if the former Manchester United striker will play any part this Thursday.
Cristian Medina has been the driving force in the attacking areas for Boca over the last few weeks, contributing with three goals and an assist in his last six appearances.
Boca Juniors possible XI: Romero; Weigandt, Vigal, Valentini, Barco; Medina, Varela, Fernandez; Merentiel, Benedetto, Zeballos
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | S. Romero, Brey, Garcia |
| Defenders: | Figal, Valdez, Valentini, Roncaglia, Anselmino, Fabra, Barco, Sandez, Weigandt, Advincula |
| Midfielders: | Varela, E. Fernandez, Rolon, Medina, Payero, G. Fernandez, Ramirez, Almendra, Montes, Gonzalez, O. Romero, Cortes, Carrasco, Briasco, Campuzano |
| Forwards: | Cavani, Merentiel, Vazquez, Hurtado, Benedetto, Orsini, Morales, Aguirre |
Head-to-Head Record
This will be their first encounter between these two South American powerhouses since a friendly in 2017 that ended 1-1 draw before the Argentine outfit won on penalties. Boca are also unbeaten in the past five meetings, albeit they have not won any of the last three.
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 30/7/17 | Boca Juniors 1-1 Nacional | Club Friendlies |
| 20/5/16 | Boca Juniors 1-1 Nacional | Copa Libertadores |
| 13/5/16 | Nacional 1-1 Boca Juniors | Copa Libertadores |
| 21/7/14 | Nacional 0-1 Boca Juniors | Club Friendlies |
| 15/3/13 | Nacional 0-1 Boca Juniors | Copa Libertadores |