The 2024 Copa Sudamericana saw Argentina’s Racing Club, under the leadership of Gustavo Costas — a legend of the Argentinian side from his playing career who’s currently in his third stint as manager — defeat Fernando Diniz’s Cruzeiro 3-1.
Under their ‘relationist’ coach, the Brazilian side dominated possession, as we might’ve expected going into the contest.
They ended up with 68.49% possession at the end of the game.
However, that ultimately counted for little.
On the other hand, Racing Club took their chances well, benefitting from a well-thought-out game plan that came together on the day to give them the silverware.
This tactical analysis focuses primarily on Racing Club’s out-of-possession performance and how this proved crucial to their victory over Diniz’s possession-dominant side.
We’ll also look at how Costas’ side approached the game in possession, with one idea in particular helping them create numerous high-quality chances throughout the match.
Copa Sudamericana Final Formations & Lineups
The new Copa Sudamericana champions lined up in a base 3-4-2-1 formation, with Gabriel Arias starting in goal behind a back-three of Marco Di Cesare on the right, Santiago Sosa in the middle and Agustín García Basso on the left.
Gastón Martirena, who was somewhat fortunate to open the scoring after his cross from the right wing found its way into Cruzeiro’s net, started at right wing-back opposite Gabriel Rojas on the left.
