Junior de Barranquilla Targets First Copa Libertadores Win Against Cerro Porteño

Junior de Barranquilla and Cerro Porteño meet in Asunción on Tuesday. They face each other in the second matchday of Group F in the Copa Libertadores.

Form and context for Junior de Barranquilla

Junior arrives on the back of a 3-1 league victory over Águilas Doradas. The team drew in its Copa Libertadores opener against Palmeiras.

Alfredo Arias leads the squad as head coach. Junior sits third in the domestic table with 28 points.

The club has recorded nine wins, one draw and six losses this season. Key players include Teófilo Gutiérrez, Yimmi Chará and Carlos Bacca, with Mauro Silveira in goal.

Cerro Porteño’s situation

Cerro Porteño lost its Copa Libertadores debut 1-0 to Sporting Cristal. The defeat left the Paraguayan side at the foot of Group F.

The team plays at the Estadio General Pablo Rojas, known as La Nueva Olla, in Asunción. Coach Ariel Holan needs points to keep Cerro in contention for the knockout stage.

In domestic action, Cerro drew 0-0 with Nacional. That result came despite Nacional finishing the match with nine men from the 50th minute, and Cerro sits second in the Apertura with 33 points.

Offensive options include Pablo Vegetti, Jonathan Torres and Juan Iturbe.

Recent meetings and Copa Libertadores history

The clubs last met in a major tie during the 2017 Copa Sudamericana round of 16. Junior eliminated Cerro Porteño with a 3-1 aggregate win in Barranquilla.

In Copa Libertadores play, the teams have met eight times. All encounters were group-stage fixtures in 1994, 1996 and 2000.

Match details and officials

The game kicks off in Asunción at 5:00 p.m. The appointed referee is Uruguayan Esteban Ostojich.

Both sides seek their first win in this Copa Libertadores edition. Expect a competitive encounter as each club pursues qualification to the round of 16.

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