By the time we finish this week, we will have seen all teams playing half of their group stage games for the 2021 edition. Hence, the upcoming games could be key to determine their futures in the continental tournament.
Before we have a look at the games being played this week, we should look at the standings for each group. This will give us an idea on which teams have a better chance of making it to the next round. For example, defending champions Palmeiras and Copa Sudamericana holders Defensa y Justicia have emerged as favorites to win Group A over Independiente and Universitario. Meanwhile, Group B is open for everyone to win it, as all teams have been able to win one game.
Group C may be quite surprising for most, because Santos are yet to collect their first points in the competition. That has worked like a charm for Boca and Barcelona, who top the group with six points each. As for Group D, River Plate and Fluminense have kept their status as favorites to win the group despite not being able to win both their games.
Group E has been dominated by Sao Paulo, who have won both of their games. The runner up spot currently belongs to Racing, but Rentistas and Sporting Cristal might have some tricks up their sleeves to change that. The same goes for Group F, where Argentinos Juniors have won both their matches and have Atlético Nacional following their trail with four points.
Group G have 2019 champions Flamengo at the top with six points, but Liga de Quito and Vélez Sarsfield could give them a headache if they lay back and relax. The last group of the competition has Cerro Porteño and Atlético Mineiro at the top with four points, product of the draws each team earned against Deportivo La Guaira, who now have a better chance to keep playing in South American tournaments than the legendary América de Cali, currently placed last in this group.
Matchday 3 will kick off with a bang as six games are set to take place on that day. The standout games in that bunch include Barcelona vs Boca, Defensay Justicia vs Palmeiras, and LDU Quito vs Flamengo.
Wednesday will also bring us six games, with the must-watch clashes being Racing vs Sao Paulo, Internacional vs Olimpia, and Santa Fe vs River Plate. Last, but not least, there will be four games being played on Thursday, with the Atlético Nacional vs Argentinos Juniors match being the one that may steal most headlines.
Here's the full schedule for Matchday 3 in the 2021 Copa Libertadores.
