Junior and Deportivo Cali, to fight for their international continuity against two greats from Brazil

After Junior from Barranquilla made his debut as a visitor in the group stage of the 2022 Copa Conmebol Sudamericana, drawing 1-1 against Unión de Santa Fe, the coast club is already thinking of fighting for the lead of group H on the night of Wednesday, April 13.

At the Roberto Meléndez Metropolitan Stadium in Barranquilla, the fans of the shark team will prepare to host Fluminense from Rio de Janeiro on date 2 of the second most important club championship organized by Conmebol.

The rojiblanco team is under pressure to prove to their fans that they can qualify for the round of 16 of the competition, despite the fact that in the local tournament the performance has been irregular, especially in the matches as a visitor.

Although he is not the favorite in the group, throughout the season the curramba team has shown strength playing as a home, scenarios in which he has achieved six wins in the seven matches played in Barranquilla.

After eliminating Equidad in the qualifying round of the Copa Sudamericana and having drawn 1-1 against Unión de Santa Fe in Argentina, the Atlanticans are motivated because they will be able to count on most of their starting players, starting with the captain and goalkeeper, Uruguayan Sebastian Viera and his striker Miguel Ángel Borja, who has just scored Deportivo Cali in the 1-1 draw for the 2022 BetPlay I League.

The doubts of coach Juan Cruz Real are in the defensive lag, due to the injury suffered by central defender Hómer Martínez, who has been affected for several days by a knee injury and which probably requires surgical intervention. In view of the fact that Martinez could be out in Junior the rest of the season, his replacement against Fluminense would be Daniel Rosero, alongside Jorge Arias.

Fluminense returns to Colombia after having eliminated Millonarios FC from the qualifying round of the 2022 Copa Libertadores. In view of the fact that the Carioca team was unable to advance to the group stage of the main competition against Olimpia in Paraguay, those led by Abel Braga were transferred to “the other half of the glory” in the group where Oriente Petrolero de Bolivia and Unión de Santa Fe from Argentina are also located.

Fluminense arrived in Colombia on the morning of Tuesday, April 12, and everything seems to indicate that his payroll will not present any news. That is, the lineup could be the same roster with which he comfortably defeated Oriente Petrolero 3-0 in Rio de Janeiro.

Among the most outstanding players of the Flu are the Colombian creative flyer Jhon Adolfo Arias, who has just scored in the victory over the Bolivians, like the Argentinian naturalized Colombian Germán Ezequiel Cano.

Another one that will not be of the match is the Venezuelan creative flyer Luis Cariaco González, who was expelled during the match that the Junior played in Argentina against Union de Santa Fe and ended in a one-goal draw. Coach Cruz would use Argentine Fabian Sambueza or get into that area at the mixed wheel Yesus Cabrera.

This is how Junior's debut against Union took place in Argentina:

The current champion of the Colombian first division continues his sports preparation in Brazilian territory, particularly in the city of São Paulo, where he is his next rival for the 2022 Conmebol Libertadores Cup: Corinthians.

The sugar club will play at 7:00pm Colombian time against Timão as part of the second game of the group stage of the highest continental tournament in group E.

In a press conference prior to the match against the world champions in 2012, Dudamel highlighted the work of the Brazilians and acknowledged that it will be a very difficult match, considering that they have come from falling against Always Ready from Bolivia and have the need to win in their continental debut as home:

The Venezuelan strategist argues that the tactical form of his squad cannot change, unless the situation allows it, so they will appeal to a duel very similar to that exhibited at the Palmaseca stadium against Boca Juniors:

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