Lucas Leiva is due to shortly play his last two games for Gremio before transferring to Liverpool.
Those two games are only the two legs of South America's version of our European Cup.
The first leg is tomorrow as Gremio (Brasil) take on Boca Juniors (Argentina). The second leg is a week later.
The following Article is from FoxSports ahead of tomorrow's clash.....http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/6914420BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) - The biggest rivalry in South American soccerdom opens a new chapter Wednesday night as Boca Juniors welcomes Brazilian challenger Gremio for the opener of the two-leg Copa Libertadores championship.
But "welcome" is more protocol than sentiment.
Boca manager Miguel Russo already has promised a furious attack from his front-line trio of Juan Roman Riquelme and strikers Martin Palermo and Rodrigo Palacio.
Gremio, which has allowed 10 goals in 12 games, has vowed to press its own offense in quest of the premier South American club championship.
Besides a possible sixth title for Boca and a third for Gremio, a berth in the Club World Championship also awaits the winner.
Using the same lineup that overwhelmed Cucuta of Colombia in the second leg of the semifinals, Russo said Boca will be seeking to dominate Gremio from the outset by battering its defense.
"Boca will go all out to win this," Russo said after a final training session Tuesday. "This is a Libertadores final that requires precision in the rival area and very tough defense."
Striker Palermo said Boca would smother Gremio from the opening whistle.
"We won't let Gremio even catch their breath," said the 33-year-old veteran, who has played in 23 Libertadores matches and was a member of the Boca championship team in 2000 before leaving to play in Spain.
Gremio also will face tens of thousands of raucous Boca fans in Buenos Aires' notoriously intimidating "La Bombonera" - Spanish for "The Chocolate Box."
The amplified acoustics of the squat, box-like stadium has given Boca the edge against many rivals, as it did last week against Cucuta when a dense fog shrouded the field and was a factor in its 3-0 victory - just enough to overcome a 2-0 first-leg loss in Colombia.
About 45,000 Boca fans are expected to be on hand along with 2,000 from Gremio.
The Brazilian club flew into Buenos Aires early Tuesday after fog delayed flights. Again, a factor could by heavy fog, which hampered vision last week and appeared to unsettle the Colombian side.
But Gremio, from Brazil's southern "gaucho" territory near Argentina, is accustomed to playing in adverse conditions and is expected to draw on its young star Carlos Eduardo to deliver the counterpunch. Its players seemed unconcerned.
"Boca will always be Boca, but soon they will see who is Gremio," Gremio defender Patrio said.
Gremio insists it won't be intimidated - not even by La Bombonera.
"We don't fear them," captain Tcheco said. "We're not afraid of La Bombonera nor Diego Maradona."
Maradona, an ardent Boca fan, is often seen at Boca's stadium, providing inspiration and looming somewhat like a phantom.
But Tcheco said Gremio eliminated Brazilian rival Santos in the semifinals last week with Pele watching from the stands - and expects to do the same with Boca and Maradona.
Both Boca and Gremio have reached the finals with all their forces intact.
Riguelme overcame a weekend cold that kept him from training and was expected to be in good condition Wednesday night. Palermo and Palacio also reach the final stage uninjured.
Gremio's squad - which features Argentines Sebastian Saja in goal and backup defender Rolando Schiavi - rested Tuesday at a hotel in the Argentine capital as they huddled on strategy. The team was mulling whether to put Carlos Eduardo as a lone striker and bolster the midfield to block Boca's attacks down the wings.
If Gremio Coach Mano Menezes settles on such a plan, midfielder Lucas would enter play for striker Douglas.
"If we put three forwards to stop Boca down the sides they won't have as much freedom to run. But that would change our plan," Menezes said, without revealing his final decision.
"Boca is a complicated rival, but our goal is to win," he said.
There is a good article on Wiki about this years tournament, which bizarrely involved the teams in the semi-finals switching opponents to prevent an All-Brazil final. And we thought UEFA were bad!http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copa_Libertadores_2007