After a crazy yet typical in South American fashion Round of 16, we have eight sides now battling out to become South America's top team. Cruzeiro, River Plate, Internacional, Santa Fe, Guaraní, Racing Club, Emelec and Tigres UANL are all vying for a spot in the semi-finals.

Cruzeiro are on the road in Buenos Aires on Thursday, tackling Argentine Primera Division winners River Plate, who advanced to the quarters following CONMEBOL's decision to expel their bitter rivals Boca Juniors from the competition after rival players were sprayed with pepper spray by Boca fans when coming out of the tunnel in the second half.

Cruzeiro earned their spot in the quarters after edging Brazilian rivals Sao Paulo on penalties, while River were awarded a 3-0 win as a result of the crowd violence at Boca. Both managers, Ricardo Oliveira and Marcelo Gallardo, see their teams as favorites for the final..

The winner of that matchup will take on Guarani of Paraguay and Argentine side Racing Club, with the first match being played in Paraguay and then Argentina. Guarani stunned Corinthians 3-0 on aggregate, winning both home and away in the round of 16, a day before Racing overcame Wanderers 3-2 over two legs, as the surprise package takes on the team with the top goalscorer with nine goals in Gustavo Bou. They will play for a third time in this tournament after both side won their respective matches at home in the group stage against each other.

Colombia's Santa Fe host Internacional at Estadio Nemesio Camacho in Bogota on Wednesday. The Colombian side defeated the Argentine side Estudiantes de la Plata with a 3-2 aggregate score, while Inter have been amazing this season, after going unbeaten since their opening game, a 3-1 defeat to The Strongest in the altitude of La Paz. Now they return to altitude, albeit the much milder climes of Bogota following the 5–3 on aggregate against Atletico Mineiro.

The winner of that will take on the winner of Emelec of Ecuador and Tigres of Mexico, in which Tigres have been spectular throughout the entire tournament, winning in altitude against Universitario of Bolivia, while Emelec provided another shock against Atletico Nacional, also one of the favorites going into this tournament.

The stakes are as a high as ever for all eight clubs, as only five group leaders stand and three second place finishers.