One of the most important club tournaments in the world will resume in September, once South American teams take the field to play the rest of the 2020 Copa Libertadores, which will be extended for the first time in history to a subsequent year.
The coronavirus pandemic forced games around the world to be suspended, and Copa Libertadores matches were no exception. Countries such as Brazil were hit hard by the pandemic, but the world of South American football is back for more and fans will have something to bring happiness to their lives via their favorite teams.
All matchdays will go on as planned back when the tournament was taking place in the earlier months of 2020. The competition will be held without fans in the stands, which will surely make this guide even more relevant to sports fans around the globe.
Speaking about the developments that took place during the coronavirus break, the biggest move among the 32 participants has to be Jorge Jesús' exit from Flamengo. The defending champions will not have the tactical genius around, and that fact alone has hindered Fla's chances of winning back-to-back titles.
With that in mind, River Plate and Boca Juniors have been named by South American experts as the two favorite teams to win the title...again. Los Xeneizes have added midfielder Edwin Cardona to their roster, which will surely boost their title chances. Meanwhile, River Plate will rely on Marcelo Gallardo's magical tactics, which have seen them win almost every title available with "El Muñeco" at the helm.
Matchdays one and two were held before the coronavirus pause. Hence, the tournament will resume with Matchday 3's games, which are scheduled to start on Tueday, September 15, 2020. Given we now live in a world that has been disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this naturally could change at any time
What's the schedule set to look like? Are all the games being played on the same day?
No. Each matchday in the Copa Libertadores is played between two or three days, mostly during the week. The games that are set to take place had already been scheduled to be played in March, but the coronavirus pause forced CONMEBOL to postpone each game for six months. With that in mind, consider that all matchdays will be held between Tuesday and Thursday.
Matchday three will be played on - September 15 (four games), September 16 (five games), and September 17 (seven games).
The same will take place on Matchday four, scheduled to be played on September 22 (six games), September 23 (seven games), and September 24 (three games).
Matchday 5 will be played in similar fashion, with all games being held between September 29 (six games), September 30 (seven games), and October 1 (three games.
The final matchday of the group stage will be held between October 22 and October 24, with fixtures and times set to be revealed at a later date.
*Please keep in mind that each tournament can change their schedule at any time.
When is the season expected to conclude?
If everything goes according to plan, the 2020-2021 Copa Libertadores will conclude on Thursday, January 21, 2021.
What times will the games begin on Tuesday, September 15?
The first match during the restart of the Copa Libertadores will feature Colo Colo vs Peñarol and Jorge Wilstermann vs Athletico Paranaense, both of them scheduled to kick off at 18:15 ET (15:15 PT). Later that day, Perú's Binacional will face LDU Quito, while Santos hosts Olimpia in Brazil. Both games will begin at 20:30 ET (17:30 PT).
What broadcasters will be showing the games if I live in the USA and Canada?
If you live in the USA, beIN Sports en Español will be your top option to follow the Copa Libertadores throughout the group stage and further on. Their mobile app, beIN Sports Connect will also serve your purpose to keep track of all the games on-the-go. Cord-cutters will have the chance to follow the games in the U.S. via Fanatiz, which will also stream content via their agreement with beIN Sports.
Fans living in Canada will be able to follow all the action in La Liga via beIN Sports Canada, beIN Sports Connect Canada, and beIN Sports en Español.
Copa Libertadores Matchday 3 schedule (Sept. 15 to Sept. 17)
Here's the schedule for matchday three:
Copa Libertadores Matchday 4 schedule (Sept. 22 to Sept. 24)
Here's the schedule for matchday four:
Copa Libertadores Matchday 5 schedule (Sept. 29 to Oct. 1)
Here's the schedule for matchday five:
