The opening week of the 2022 Copa Libertadores left some surprises for fans to discuss, and the second week of action should keep the conversation alive thanks to some of the games that will be taking place between Tuesday and Thursday.
The defending champions started their run in the competition with an emphatic win last week, which cements their reputation as the favorites to win the title. Other clubs that showed good form include Flamengo, Estudiantes, and Deportivo Cali, who claimed a two-nil win over Boca Juniors in their first match of the competition. Now, with these games set to be played, those clubs who lost will try hard to claim their first win of the tournament, while those who earned a win last week will want to build up on that to cement their chances of making the next round.
Here is how the groups look like after the first games of the top club competition in South America.
Top Copa Libertadores games to watch this week
Flamengo vs Talleres de Córdoba - The 2019 Copa Libertadores winners claimed a two-nil win in the first match of the competition last week, and this time they will be facing the Argentine side who also claimed a victory in their first game of the tournament. With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if Talleres are for real in their intention to make it to the next round.
Palmeiras vs Independiente Petrolero - The defending champions will go back at it when they host Independiente Petrolero from Bolivia, a team that escaped with a draw from their debut in the 2022 competition. The Verdao will enter the pitch as massive favorites to win the match, but only time will tell if they are capable of living up to the expectations.
Nacional vs Estudiantes - The away team claimed a big win in their debut against fellow Argentine club Vélez, and this time they will be traveling to Uruguay to face Nacional. The hosts lost in their first match of the competition, and one more loss here would complicate things even further for one of the most popular clubs in South America.
River Plate vs Fortaleza - The Argentine club kicked off their run in the tournament with a narrow one-nil victory, while Fortaleza were unable to claim a point against Colo Colo, who beat them 2-1 at their own home. This could be a crucial game for the Brazilian minnows, as one more defeat here could complicate their path to the next round even more than it is right now.
Here are all the games for the second week of action in this edition of the Copa Libertadores. More info on the tournament here.
