Atlético Nacional, which little by little has been consolidating an idea of the game, will try to continue its journey in the Copa Libertadores with a firm step today when it faces Olimpia from Paraguay for the third date of the group stage.
The ‘Verdolagas’, who lead zone H, arrive revitalized after their 3-1 victory in the classic against Medellín, a result that allowed them to enter the group of the top eight in the league.
The team from Antioquia, which holds two titles in the Copa Libertadores, in 1989 and 2016, wants to return to the top of South American football and to achieve this they are doing meticulous work, under the technical guidance of Brazilian Paulo Autori.
The most remembered duel between these two teams is the one played for the final of the continental tournament at the El Campín stadium in Bogotá and in which the crown of 89 was defined in the definition from the penalty spot, with the launch from the penalty spot and in which goalkeeper René Higuita was the hero.
The Paraguayans are second in Group H with four points, Melga of Peru adds one and Patronato of Argentina zero.
For today’s match, coach Autori could well repeat the roster he used against Medellín, in which goalkeeper Ken Mier, defender Cristian Zapata, midfielder Sebastián Gómez and gunners Jefferson Duque and Tomás Ángel stand out.
For his part Diego Aguirre moved the best of his squad to Colombia and would also have a very similar payroll to the one he faced the second date before Patronate in Asuncion, with Gaston Oliveira, Victor Salazar, Luis Zarate, Mateo Gamarra, Ivan Torres, Richard Ortiz , Marcos Gomez, Fernando Cardozo, Alexander Silva, Hugo Fernandez and William Paiva.
Meanwhile, for Group A, the Ecuadorian Aucas (3 points), today has at hand a victory on the road against the weak Chilean team Ñublense (no points).
Fluminense, Flamengo’s historical rival, entered the Libertadores party without an invitation with a perfect sum and also the leading march in the Brasileirao, but today they will have a litmus test in Group D against the powerful River Plate, in another of the great meetings of the third date.
The team led by Martín Demichelis is unstoppable in the Argentine tournament, although they need to establish themselves quickly in the continental tournament (3 points) in order to aim for their fifth crown.
On the other hand, it is difficult for Boca Juniors to get out of the deep hole into which they fell in the Argentine tournament, in which they are very far from their adversary River. Due to his low game, he also sees his goal of achieving the seventh continental title and equaling Independiente as the top winner.
A key duel will have the xeneize tomorrow with Colo Colo in Santiago, both leaders of Group F with four points, a cross seasoned by severe incidents that were recorded in 1991 also by the Libertadores.
Nacional, three times continental monarch (1971, 1980, 1988), seeks to recover the glory years of Uruguayan soccer in the Libertadores. With a perfect sum in two games in Group B, the Uruguayan team will give the blow if they beat Internacional in Porto Alegre, although a draw would not hurt them to feed their dream of qualifying for the round of 16.
Argentinos Juniors, another unexpected player in the main continental club tournament, faces an accessible match on paper against bottom club Liverpool (no points) in Montevideo on Tuesday for Group D, a key in which Corinthians (second with three) will have a difficult time with the Ecuadorian Independiente del Valle.