The CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores has reached its quarter-final stage, as the delayed 2020 competition nears its end.
And Wednesday sees the final last-eight clash conclude at La Bombonera with Boca Juniors' clash against Racing Club
Boca start 1-0 down in the second leg and have to win in order to stand a chance of progressing to the last four.
Either the Xeneize or Racing will become the last side to book their place in the round, with Brazilian duo Palmeiras and Santos and Boca's Superclasico rivals River Plate already safely through.
The CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores quarter finals can be watched through Fanatiz with a 7-day free trial .
Next Match
The streaming platform offers the option to watch each game in the US..
How to watch Boca vs Racing on US TV
| Date | Time (US PT / ET) | Match | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 23 | 4:30pm / 7.30pm | Boca vs Racing | Fanatiz |
What has happened to Racing and Boca so far in the 2020 Copa Libertadores?
Racing impressed throughout the group stage and were unlucky to only take second place in a pool that also included Uruguay's Nacional, Alianza Lima of Peru and Venezuelans Estudiantes Merida.
The side coached by Sebastian Beccacece won all but one of their Group F games but were pushed out of top place by virtue of having an inferior goal difference to Nacional, which set up a daunting last-16 match with holders Flamengo.
But after two 1-1 draws in Avellaneda and Rio de Janeiro La Academia finally prevailed on penalties, causing a major upset against one of the Copa favourites.
Watch now with Fanatiz English
Watch now with Fanatiz Spanish
Watch now with Fanatiz Portuguese
Boca have made steady if unspectacular progress through the Libertadores, buoyed by five goals from Argentina striker Eduardo Salvio and the ever-inspirational presence of Carlos Tevez.
The Xeneize came out top in Group H without losing a single game and conceding just one goal, and they looked set to continue in the same vein when Tevez's strike gave them a 1-0 victory away to Internacional in the last 16 first leg.
Inter, however, struck back with their own win in the return, and the game was forced into a tense penalty shoot-out which was eventually won 5-4 by the relieved Argentines.
Then, in December 16's first leg, a tense clash at El Cilindro went in La Academia's favour thanks to Paraguay international Lorenzo Melgarejo, who headed past Esteban Andrada to gives the hosts a 1-0 victory which could prove crucial.
Boca and Racing team news and preview
With the recovery of forward Ramon Abila and a clean bill of health from pre-match Covid testing, Boca have a full squad from which to choose for Wednesday's must-win match.
Franco Soldano marked Sunday's Copa Maradona clash against Independiente with a goal and could be in line to start, possibly replacing Edwin Cardona up front after the Colombian failed to impress in the first leg. Diego Gonzalez and Julio Buffarini are also being considered for the first XI in midfield and defence respectively.
Racing are likely to repeat the same XI which took down Boca in the first leg, having rested the entire team at the weekend during their 1-1 draw away to Estudiantes.
Defender Alexis Soto was the only member of the Libertadores starting line-up to gain minutes on Sunday, although Augusto Solari, who came off the bench in the first leg, will be pushing for inclusion after scoring his side's only goal against the La Plata side.
Probable Boca XI: Andrada; Jara, Izquierdoz, Lisandro Lopez, Fabra; Salvio, Campuzano, Capaldo, Villa; Cardona/Zarate, Tevez.
Probable Racing XI: Arias; Fabricio Domínguez, Sigali, Nery Domínguez, Soto, Mena; Melgarejo, Leonel Miranda, Rojas, Fertoli; Lopez.
When does the 2020 Copa Libertadores finish?
The 2020 Copa Libertadores was originally scheduled to conclude with a single final in a neutral ground, the system which replaced the old format of home and away legs last year, at the end of November.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, however, the tournament suffered almost six months of interruption, meaning that the final phases had to be pushed back into the South American summer months of late December and January.
Boca Juniors and Racing Club additionally suffered a further week's delay when the former's last-16 first leg match against Internacional was suspended due to the death of Diego Maradona.
Last Tuesday Palmeiras became the first side to book their place in the semis, dispatching Libertad 3-0 in Sao Paulo to advance 4-1 on aggregate.
The rest of the quarter-final ties finished in similarly conclusive fashion: Santos inflicted a 4-1 thrashing on Gremio in the last-eight's all-Brazilian clash, before River destroyed Nacional 6-2 away from home to finish 8-2 aggregate winners.
The last four takes place between January 5 and 13 following a short break for the festive period.
The final proper is scheduled to be held at Rio de Janeiro's landmark Maracana Stadium on January 30.
Watch the Copa Libertadores live on Fanatiz. Sign up for a free trial now.