"We're going to suffocate their team," said full-back Leo. "We're not going to let anyone breathe.

"We're going to make Boca cry, you can be certain of that."

Striker Marcelo Delgado scored twice to give Argentina's Boca a two-goal lead last Wednesday.

Brazilian commentators are sceptical as to whether Santos, who won the competition in 1962 and 1963 during Pele's heyday, are capable of overhauling Boca, who have won their last three away matches in the competition.

Boca, who lost to Santos in the 1963 final but have won the competition four times since, also defended a two-goal first leg lead in their semi-final against Colombia's America and won the second match 4-0 in Cali.

Santos teenager Robinho, who has struggled to find the form which led to comparisons with Pele last year, refused to join the pessimists.

"We have to set the game alight from the start," he said. "A quick goal is fundamental."

The match, which pits Santos's exciting young team against the side coached by wily Libertadores Cup campaigner Carlos Bianchi, is the most eagerly awaited of the year in Latin America.

The 73,103 tickets for the match at the Morumbi stadium sold out by Sunday evening, infuriating hundreds of Santos fans who queued in vain through the early hours of Monday morning.

Bianchi has already won the Libertadores three times, two of his victories coming in the same Morumbi stadium.

In 1994, he led modest Velez Sarsfield to a penalty shootout win against defending champions Sao Paulo.

Six years later, he was again at the helm as Boca, Argentina's most popular club, overcame Palmeiras in another penalty shootout.

He won his third Libertadores the following year when Boca beat Mexico's Cruz Azul in yet another shootout.

Boca arrived in Sao Paulo amid tight security on Tuesday night and quickly headed for the same hotel where they stayed three years ago and where Velez also stayed in 1994.

Boca striker Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who has scored six goals in the competition, will miss the game through injury. Santos are without right-back Reginaldo Araujo, sent off in the first leg.

PROBABLE TEAMS Boca Juniors: 1-Roberto Abbondancieri; 4-Hugo Ibarra, 2-Rolando Schiavi, 6-Nicolas Burdisso, 3-Clemente Rodriguez; 5-Sebastian Battaglia, 8-Diego Cagna, 22-Raul Cascini, 20-Javier Villareal; 11-Carlos Tevez, 16-Marcelo Delgado

Santos: 1-Fabio Costa; 11-Elano, 2-Andre Luis, 6-Alex, 3-Leo; 5-Paulo Almeida, 8-Renato, 10-Diego, 21-Fabiano; 7-Robinho, 9-Ricardo Oliveira

Referee: Jorge Larrionda (Uruguay)