Bolivar vs Fluminense - prediction, team news, lineups

Bottom of Group C, Fluminense travel to the 3,367 metres supra oversea level of Estadio Hernando Siles to face Bolívar on Thursday, April 30, successful the 3rd circular of the 2026 Copa Libertadores. Both sides are inactive searching for a archetypal triumph successful the group, having taken 1 constituent each from their opening 2 matches.

Tipped to advancement arsenic radical winners, Fluminense person made an underwhelming commencement with setbacks against Deportivo La Guaira and Independiente Rivadavia, including a location decision astatine the Maracanã Stadium. Bolívar, meanwhile, volition anticipation to usage the demands of altitude to occupation the visitors arsenic some teams conflict for a spot successful the knockout stages.

Match preview

Historically, Bolívar cognize the value of location vantage successful their pursuit of qualification from the radical stage. In 40 appearances successful the competition, the Bolivian broadside person a 67 per cent location grounds — 90 wins successful 135 matches astatine the Hernando Siles.

That instrumentality is 27 per cent higher than the team's wide grounds (home and away) successful the continental competition. However, their opening fixture astatine location successful this variation produced different stumble, a 1-1 gully against Deportivo La Guaira successful the 2nd round.

The discourse for seeking a triumph against the Brazilians, however, is not encouraging: the gully with the Venezuelans and the decision to Independiente Petrolero past week culminated successful the resignation of Flávio Robatto. The manager had been successful complaint since 2024 and had accumulated 73 wins successful 117 matches astatine the club.

Against the Tricolor, the committee officially announced successful a connection that Vladimir Soria volition beryllium connected the touchline arsenic they question their archetypal triumph successful the Libertadores. The interim manager made his debut past play successful a 6-0 thrashing of Real Tomayapo successful the Bolivian Championship. It is worthy noting that of the 8 location matches this year, including the Summer Tournament, six finished with much than 2.5 goals.

To effort to minimise the effects of altitude, Fluminense person opted to get arsenic adjacent arsenic imaginable to kick-off. The lucifer is 1 of utmost unit arsenic the broadside indispensable debar falling further down the apical two.

The concern became analyzable aft the setback successful the past circular to debutants Independiente Rivadavia — a triumph described arsenic a "new Maracanazo" by the Argentinian property successful the post-match coverage. The Cariocas had taken the pb done Guilherme Arana, but Fabrizio Sartori and Alex Arce turned the scoreline around.

After that setback — which near the Tricolor astatine the bottommost of the radical — Luís Zubeldía's broadside person recovered during the season, with 2 wins successful the Brasileirão (3-2 against Santos and 2-1 against Chapecoense) and a 0-0 gully with Operário-PR successful the Copa bash Brasil.

The results person near the Cariocas successful contention for the Brasileirão title, connected 26 points and six down leaders Palmeiras. The tally has brought calm to the coaching staff, who had antecedently gone 4 matches without a win, including a decision successful the Fla-Flu.

Fluminense caput up to Bolivian altitude hoping to present a bully show successful their 2nd distant lucifer successful the tournament. In the first, against La Guaira, their deficiency of attacking output produced an uninspiring 0-0.

Bolivar Copa Libertadores form:

D L 

Bolivar signifier (all competitions):

W L W D L W 

Fluminense Copa Libertadores form:

D L 

Fluminense signifier (all competitions):

D L L W D W 

Team News

Vladimir Soria's debut featured a halfway of starters who the manager whitethorn tract against Fluminense connected Thursday. The bully quality was the clearance from CONMEBOL for defender José Sagredo, who received lone a one-match prohibition for his sending-off successful the team's opening fixture.

Robson and Patrício Rodríguez person had caller injuries and are moving their mode backmost with the aesculapian staff. They volition beryllium reassessed successful Wednesday's grooming and, if available, whitethorn beryllium included for the match.

The main lack connected the Fluminense broadside is midfielder Martinelli, who suffered a grade-three thigh oedema and volition beryllium retired until the World Cup. In addition, Soteldo, Lucho Acosta and Cano are with the aesculapian section and are confirmed absentees.

The coaching unit are exploring the imaginable instrumentality of midfielder Nonato, who has been sidelined for 2 months. Finally, aft a stroke to the face, John Kennedy is acceptable to commencement against Bolívar, fixed that helium is the Tricolor's apical scorer successful the Brasileirão.

Bolivar imaginable starting lineup:

Carlos Lampe; Jesús Sagredo, Xavier Arreaga, Santiago Echeverría, Erwin Saavedra; Leonel Justiniano, Carlos Melgar; Brian Oyola, Dorny Romero, Christian Alemán; Martín Cauteruccio. Coach: Vladimir Soria.

Fluminense imaginable starting lineup:

Fábio; Samuel Xavier, Jemmes, Freytes, Guilherme Arana; Facundo Bernal, Hércules; Jefferson Savarino, Kevin Serna, Canobbio; John Kennedy. Coach: Luís Zubeldía.

We say: Bolivar 0-0 Fluminense

Despite sitting 3rd successful the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Fluminense have struggled to make wide openings against much compact antiaircraft setups, which helps explicate their setbacks successful the opening 2 rounds of the Copa Libertadores.

The conditions astatine altitude could favour a level scoreline successful the archetypal half, portion corners whitethorn besides beryllium significant, with long-range efforts expected to go an important attacking way for some sides.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.