Grêmio now knows its opponent for the Copa Sudamericana playoffs: Bolívar. The Brazilian club secured the best record among the second-place teams in the group stage and will face the Bolivian side, which finished as the weakest third-place team from the Copa Libertadores groups. The two-legged tie is scheduled for late July, with the base dates set for July 22 and July 29, immediately after the World Cup.
The matchup was confirmed after Wednesday’s games, although some matches are still set for Thursday. Those results will not change Grêmio’s or Bolívar’s positions. Grêmio completed its group-stage campaign on Tuesday with a draw against City Torque at the Arena, finishing second in its group with 11 points. Bolívar collected only five points in Group C, which was led by Independiente Rivadavia, with Fluminense finishing second.
Because only group winners advance directly to the Round of 16, Grêmio must go through the playoff round. The first leg will be played at Bolívar’s home. However, there is a possibility that Grêmio could avoid the altitude of La Paz, which sits about 3,600 meters above sea level. Due to political unrest, Conmebol has been moving some matches out of the Bolivian capital.
On Wednesday, Bolívar lost 3-1 to Independiente Rivadavia in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, a venue without altitude. Other Bolivian clubs have also recently played in Paraguay because of protests and clashes involving civilians and police in La Paz. If the unrest continues until July, Grêmio may not have to deal with the altitude challenge. If conditions change, the Brazilian team could still face that added difficulty.
The second leg will be played at Grêmio’s home stadium, the Arena. If Grêmio advances past Bolívar, its Round of 16 opponent will be determined by a draw scheduled for Friday, May 29.
