Recoleta FC and Cerro Porteño seek a turnaround in Clausura clash

Recoleta FC and Cerro Porteño close out the eighth round of Paraguay's 2026 Clausura tournament in a match neither side can afford to approach casually. The game begins at 6:30 p.m. at Luis Salinas Stadium in Itauguá, with both teams desperate to change the direction of their seasons.

Recoleta are trying to put a turbulent spell behind them. After a historic experience in the Copa Sudamericana, the Canario have slipped toward the lower part of the standings. A recent defeat to Olimpia heightened concerns, prompting coach Jorge González Frutos to make changes in search of confidence and a stronger collective performance.

Cerro Porteño arrive in transition, with Argentine coach Gustavo Costas taking charge after the dismissal of compatriot Ariel Holan following a run of poor results. Costas needs time to impose his tactical ideas, but the pressure at one of Paraguay's biggest clubs is immediate. The team is also dealing with a long injury list, forcing several players who had seen little action into the substitutes' group.

Cerro Porteño's starting lineup is Manuel Roffo; Iván Ramírez Segovia, Víctor Gustavo Velázquez, Lucas Quintana, Lucas Merolla and Guillermo Benítez; Jorge Morel, Ariel Gamarra and Carlos Chena; Ignacio Aliseda and Pablo Vegetti. Recoleta start with Andrés Marsengo; Facundo Echeguren, Marcos Pereira, Luis Cardozo and Lucas Monzón; Juan José Falcón, José Antonio Espínola, Fernando Galeano and Alejandro Silva; Aldo Walmor González and Paul Charpentier.