“It’s a final.” This is how Ñublense coach Mario Salas described the pending duel with Huachipato, with which, this Thursday at 3:00 p.m., at the Nelson Oyarzún stadium in Chillán, the Chillanejo team will close the first round.

“It is very important for us to finish the first round a little higher and in terms of football to show our improvement from the last few games,” stressed the “Comandante” on the eve of the clash with the “steelworkers” and following his team secured qualification to the next round of the Copa Chile following beating San Antonio de Temuco 4-1.

The “red devils” are obliged to win to stay away from hell. They are in tenth place with 16 points, two away from the relegation zone (Cobreloa is 15th with 14 points) and eight away from qualifying for the Copa Sudamericana (Deportes Iquique is 7th with 24 points).

The coach of the steel team, Francisco Troncoso, who has just played in the Copa Libertadores and will continue his international journey in the Copa Sudamericana, praised the coach of the “devils.”

“Ñublense has a great coach, whom I respect a lot. We have seen how we can stop his strengths and take advantage of our own. We have the tools to get the three points. We are going to face a very tough rival in Chillán. I think we are prepared to be competitive. Everything we have been working on,” said Francisco Troncoso, coach of Huachipato.