Junior already knows his way in the next round of the Copa Libertadores. This Monday the draw for the round of 16 of the continental tournament took place, where the 16 best teams in the group stage will seek to continue advancing to reach the title match. The Barranquilla team, the only representative of the country in this instance, will have to travel to Chile with the aim of reaching the quarterfinals.
Those directed by Arturo Reyes They qualified for the round of 16 undefeated thanks to their good performance in Group D, in which they accumulated 2 wins and 4 draws. finishing in first position with 10 points above Botafogo of Brazil, who added the same units, but finished second due to goal difference.
Once the draw for the round of 16 was made, Junior was paired in key 3 with Colo Colo from Chile, team that finished in second position in Group A with 6 units behind Fluminense. The winner of the match will face the winner of the Argentine duel between River Plate and Talleres.
Junior, with a good record against Chilean teams
Junior will arrive at the duel against Colo Colo with a good record against Chilean teams. This will be the fifth time in its history that it faces a club from this country. Of the 10 games that the Barranquilleros have played, They have achieved 5 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses, thus accumulating a performance of 66.6%.
The last time Junior faced a Chilean team was in the round of 16 of the 2020 Copa Sudamericana. The squad led at that time by Luis Amaranto Perea faced Unión La Calera in a series that was decided on penalties. after they will end up tied 3-3 on aggregate. In the end, the Barranquilleros qualified after winning 4-2. Later, in the quarterfinals they fell to another team from this country, Coquimbo Unidos.
Junior and Colo Colo, again in the Libertadores
This will be the second opportunity in which Colombians and Chileans meet in an instance of the Copa Libertadores. Coincidentally, Junior and Colo-Colo met in the round of 16 in the 1994 edition, in a very close match that ended tied and was decided by the penalties from the penalty spot.
The first leg, which took place at the Metropolitan Stadium in Barranquilla, ended 1-1 after goals from Eduardo Vilches for the whites and Iván René Valenciano for the Colombians. The one back, played at the Monumental David Arellano, it ended 2-2 with the scores of Toninho (x2) for the locals and Miguel Guerrero and Luis Grau for the visitors. In the end, Junior won 4-3 in the penalty shootout, with Héctor Méndez collecting the victory.
Although Conmebol has not confirmed the date and time of the round of 16, according to the calendar presented at the beginning of the year, the first leg matches will be played in the week of August 14, while in The next ones will take place. Junior, by finishing first in his group, will close as a local.
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