Athletico won all knockout games at Ligga Arena

With the triumph over Racing Club, in the first leg of the South American quarterfinals, Athletico won every knockout game it played at the Ligga Arena in 2024. In the centenary year, Furacão made the most of its home advantage despite having the worst sequence as home team in the Brasileirão. The team has gone eight games (three draws and five defeats) without winning in Serie A.

“We know that we are facing a big rival in their country, with a lot of quality. It won’t be easy and it wasn’t. It was important to win. We know that every detail can make the difference one way or the other,” said Varini about the result.

“To regain confidence in playing at home. We had the feeling that we could have scored one more goal, but we know that we will decide it in Buenos Aires.”

Under Cuca’s command, Furacão was unbeatable in the campaign for the 2024 Campeonato Paranaense title. In addition to the 6-0 win over Londrina in the coach’s debut, the team beat Operário 1-0 in the semifinal. In the final, another great victory: 3-0 over Maringá.

In the Copa do Brasil and the South American Cup, coach Martín Varini continues with a 100% success rate. The team beat Ypiranga-RS 3-0, reversing the advantage of the Gauchos after the defeat in the first leg, in addition to the 2-0 victory over Bragantino in the round of 16.

To top it off, Athletico also beat Vasco 2-1 in the round of 16. However, the red-black team was eliminated on penalties.

In the South American, Furacão had to face the playoffs due to defeats against Danubio and Sportivo Ameliano in the group stage. However, with Varini leading the team, Athletico beat Cerro Porteño (playoff) and Belgrano (round of 16) and now Racing Club.

Against the Argentines, the decisive game takes place next Thursday (26), at 9:30 pm, at the El Cilindro stadium, in Avellaneda.