4-26-07 - Grêmio's Libertadores Cup Opponent Will Be São Paulo

Grêmio’s opponent in the Libertadores Cup Round of 16 has been determined. The Group 3 champions earned the No. 7 seed and will face 10th-seeded São Paulo. The Brazilian champions were held to a 2-2 tie at home against Chile’s Audax Italiano to finish second in Group 2 with 11 points. Necaxa (12 pts) beat last-place Alianza Lima 2-0 to win the group. The first leg of the matchup is scheduled for next Wednesday at Morumbi Stadium.

As the higher seed, Grêmio will get to play the return leg of the playoff series at home. But that is the only advantage the Gaúchos will get. Because it finished with the second-worst record amongst the eight group winners, Grêmio (10 pts) must face the second-best second placed team. São Paulo (11 pts) finished with a better record than Grêmio and should probably be considered the favorite. Runners-up last year, the Tricolor Paulista has much experience in this competition. Additionally, their group stage performance far exceeded that of their opponents. São Paulo scored 11 goals in six games and outscored opponents 7-2 at home. Grêmio, on the other hand, managed only four goals in its six games, and each of its three victories were by a meager 1-0 margin. The Tricolor Gaúcho will need to play much better than it has if it hopes to have a chance of getting past São Paulo.