River, Flamengo set for showdown in Copa Libertadores final

Argentine holders River Plate and Brazil's Flamengo are set for an all-or-nothing showdown in the final of the Copa Libertadores on Saturday, the first final in the competition's 60-year history to be decided over a single match.

River are chasing their fifth Copa after wins in 1986, 1996, 2015 and last year. A win on Saturday would make it a hat-trick for their talismanic coach Marcelo Gallardo, who won as a player in 1996.

Gallardo's well-organized and workmanlike team will pose a stiff challenge for the Brazilians, whose Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus has put together a fearsome attacking side since taking over at the Rio de Janeiro club last June.

Jesus was giving nothing away after arriving here Thursday, holding team training at a Peruvian football federation pitch behind a wall of black tarpaulin, specially erected to keep the press at bay.

Flamengo left-back Filipe Luis says River are favourites.

"We're facing the best team of the moment, the Copa champions, a team used to playing in finals in recent years," said the 34-year-old Brazilian international, once of Atletico Madrid.

"River have been under a lot of pressure and come through everything," he said.

"We, on the other hand, are a new team, with players who arrived at the beginning of the year, a group with a lot of quality, believing in our coach's ideas, but one that is still getting to know each other."
"In a single game it will depend a lot on how you play and how things turn out on that one day. The one who plays better will be champions."