2023-06-30 03:38:24
Libertadores Cup
Pereira stood up in a difficult group, Nacional scraped by and Medellín was left in debt. Analysis.
Colombian teams in Libertadores 2023
Photo: EFE
By:
Writing Footballred
June 29, 2023, 10:35 p.m. m.
This Thursday the curtain was lowered in the group stage of the Copa Libertadores and Deportivo Pereira became the last team to qualify for the round of 16, a phase in which Atlético Nacional had already settled a date ago. The one who said goodbye to the competition was Medellín, who will now have to fight in the South American playoffs.
The matecaña ended up sticking up for Colombia in his Libertadores debut. He starred in a good group stage in an area in which he started as the least favorite. In the end, he left the historic Colo-Colo out of the race.
The one who ended up suffering was Atlético Nacional, following having qualified with a date in advance. They fell at home, on the last day, and had to settle for second place. The double champion of Libertadores will have the difficult task of reconciling with his football and improving his image.
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The one who disappointed was Independiente Medellín. The team that ended up led by Sebastián Botero, following the departure of David González in May, failed once morest Inter from Porto Alegre and finished third with one point less than Nacional from Uruguay. “He had the upper hand” but he did not win and the other outcome was not given to him either. He said goodbye to Libertadores and now he clings to the possibility of fighting in South America.
Now, Pereira and Nacional -classified to the next phase- will wait for a rival that will come out of the draw on July 5.
This is how it was for the Colombian teams in the group stage of Copa Libertadores 2023:
Deportivo Pereira
In his liberating debut, the matecaña met with weighty rivals and accustomed to playing this type of tournament. He made his home debut with a draw (1-1) once morest Colo-Colo, with a historic goal from Ángelo Rodríguez. Pereira’s first score in the Cup. Later, they fell (2-1) at La Bombonera once morest Boca Juniors but recovered once morest Monagas, which they beat 2-1.
In the return round, Alejandro Restrepo’s team starred in an impressive match in which they beat Boca with a goal from Arley Rodríguez. A result that put them in the fight for the place in the round of 16. Although they later fell by the minimum in Venezuela, the draw once morest the Chileans this Thursday put them second.
Pereira finished the group stage with 8 points, escorting Boca who had 13. They recorded two wins, two draws and two losses. He scored five goals and received five.
National Athletic
Paulo Autuori’s team wanted to finish first in their group, which had to resign itself to second place, following losing on date 6 once morest Patronato. Purslane had been beaten following losing the Colombian final once morest Millonarios and the coach had a youth roster, which he might do nothing to avoid another setback.
Nacional closed the group stage with 10 points behind Olimpia, which finished undefeated with 14. On the first day, once morest Patronato, the greens suffered and were able to come back (1-2) with a brace from Dorlan Pabón. Then, they tried to clear up doubts once morest Melgar, whom they beat 3-1 in Barranquilla. They maintained the string of good results with the 2-2 once morest Olimpia and defeating (0-1) the visiting Peruvians.
In the last two outings, Autuori’s team had a puncture and fell to a thrashing once morest the Paraguayans, despite them, the result in the other group key classified them early. On the last day he wanted to improve his image once morest Patronato but he disappointed. They advanced to the round of 16 despite two consecutive defeats. Balance of three wins, one draw and two losses; eight goals for and eight once morest.
Independent Medellin
The red from Antioquia entered the group stage from the previous phase, in which they had to win once morest El Nacional from Ecuador and Magallanes from Chile. On the first date, Víctor Moreno scored for 1-1 once morest Internacional. In the next outing, DIM fell (3-1) once morest Nacional and got back on track, beating Metropolitanos 4-2.
In the return round, Medellín got into the fight following beating Nacional with goals from Andrés Ibarguen and Deinner Quiñones. The points they took from Venezuela thanks to Emerson Batalla’s goal left them depending on themselves to advance to the round of 16. However, on the last date they fell resoundingly before the offensive power of the Brazilians Luiz Adriano and Maurício.
The Reds finished third with 10 points, one behind second place held by the Uruguayan Nacional. Three wins, one draw and two losses; a balance of 10 goals in favor and 9 once morest. Now, they will have to fight in the South American playoffs once morest San Lorenzo. The winner of that key will play the round of 16.
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