By Gustavo Castilho
With different ambitions, Brazilians open the final round of the group stage.
In group C, the leader Athletico-PR goes to Uruguay to face Peñarol, who still has chances to qualify. A draw is enough for Hurricane to take the lead. The Uruguayans, on the other hand, need to win and hope for a draw in the match between Colo-Colo (CHI) and Jorge Wilstermann (BOL), which will be in Chile. The Bolivian team is in second place with seven points, one more than Peñarol and Colo-Colo. While Athletico-PR navigates calm waters, the opponents play the game of their life, with Jorge Wilstermann depending only on themselves to achieve the classification.
The fight for the second spot is also fierce in group G. Santos, who is the isolated leader with thirteen points, receives Defensa y Justiça (ARG), in Santos. The Argentines are in second place with six points, but a stumble can take them out of the competition knockout phase. That’s because Olímpia (PAR) and Delfim (ECU), face off. The Paraguayans have five points and the Ecuadorians four. Any victory with a stumble by Defensa y Justiça, classifies the winning team.
While we still do not have the definition of the teams who will dispute the round of 16 of the Libertadores in groups C and G, the situation in group D is quite different. LDU, first place with twelve points, and River Plate (ARG), second with ten, face each other in Argentina, to decide who finishes in the first position. São Paulo and Binacional (PER) make the other duel of the group. The Brazilian team is third with four points, while the Peruvian team is the last with three. The match that will take place at Morumbi will decide who will secure a place in the Copa Sudamericana, as the third place in the groups guarantees a place in the competition.
The South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) announced that the draws for the round of 16 will be held virtually due to the Coronavirus. The draw will take place on October 24th. All the games will already be decided, from the round of 16 to the semifinals of the competition. The clashes will be played in round trips, with the first placed in the respective groups facing the runners-up and deciding at home.
