by Week of international tournaments for Colombian teams. In the Copa Libertadores, Millonarios and Medellín played the first leg of the second preliminary phase of the tournament against their respective rivals, Atlético Mineiro from Brazil and Magallanes from Chile.
For both eleventh coffee growers it was a tie for the same result in the first outing, equal to one goal. Now, next week they must seek to seal their classification to the group stage that would increase the Colombian quotas to four, already having Deportivo Pereira and Atlético Nacional as current champions of the previous year.
As for the Bogotá team, this will be the most difficult one, since they will have to face the powerful Brazilian team full of figures in their stadium. It will be an important framework in which those led by Alberto Gamero hope to make a big hit, although it is difficult. The game in El Campín made a feat of the blue team look positive, which this weekend will face Atlético Nacional, but reserved part of its gala list for next March 15.
For its part, Medellín should be more precise in the definition and not be surprised as in the last minute of the duel in Chile. Those led by David González took the victory until minute 90+5, but a lack of concentration caused them to end the game crestfallen for not having kept the 1-0 score, a score scored by Émerson Batalla.
Precisely on the DIM and Millonarios scorer, David Macalister Silva, in the first games, great recognition fell in the last hours from Conmebol and the organization of the South American contest. Both, respective scorers for their teams, were included in the ideal eleven of the day this week along with nine other men who appeared in the different matches that took place.
Batalla and Silva share the team of the week along with footballers from Atlético Mineiro, Huracán, Sporting Cristal and Cerro Porteño. This is the team chosen by the organization: Jean; Baez, Ignacio, Chavez; Allan, Fattori, Emerson Batalla, Macalister Silva; Paulinho, Zapata and Churin.
The journalist and analyst known as ‘MisterChip’, who is recognized for providing important data on international football through his official Twitter account, foreshadowed what could be the end of the dream for Millionaires.
The Spaniard referred to the Copa Libertadores match last Wednesday and his comments were not encouraging for the Millonarios fans, since ‘MisterChip’ published a categorical statistic that would indicate that the Albiazul team has very little chance of defeating Atlético Mineiro in Brazil and qualify for the group stage of the Libertadores.
“Colombian teams have never overcome a KO phase of the Copa Libertadores against a Brazilian club after drawing the first leg at home”, wrote ‘MisterChip’ on Twitter on Wednesday night. Indicating that in direct eliminations the Colombians can only defeat the Brazilians if the first leg, played in Colombia, ended with a local victory. Something that did not happen in El Campín with Millonarios.
The analyst also recalled that the Belo Horizonte team completed this Wednesday in Bogotá 14 games in a row without losing playing as a visitor for the Copa Libertadores. This demonstrates the experience that Mineiro has every time he leaves his stadium in the international competition.
Hulk, a figure of the Brazilian team to scare Millionaires more, warned at the end of the game what the return game will be: “The same team will meet. A team that plays, a team that I assume will be the same 11. I think we are stronger with our torcedores”.
