The end of the Group Stage in this year's Copa Libertadores is upon us, but this time things will be quite different in terms of the clubs that can make it to the next stage.
Some teams that were labeled as title contenders have been eliminated from the tournament with one match left in this stage, while others are still in jeopardy of being kicked out due to their inconsistency. Teams such as Corinthians and Colo-Colo will have to watch the rest of the competition on TV, while others like Flamengo, River Plate, Nacional and Internacional have made it to the final round with the need of a win here to keep on going.
Luckily for fans across the continent, there is no certainty on which teams will end up winning their group due to how tight things have been. Hence, this final round of games will be crucial to see the fixtures for the next round.
Here's how the standings look like in each group prior to all the activity going on this week.
| Pos. | Equipo | PJ | G | E | P | GF | GC | DIF | P | Racha | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grupo A | |||||||||||
| 1 | Fluminense | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 11 | GGEGE | |
| 2 | Colo-Colo | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 5 | EPEPG | |
| 3 | Cerro Porteño | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 5 | PEEGP | |
| 4 | Alianza Lima | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 4 | EEEPE | |
| Grupo B | |||||||||||
| 1 | Talleres Córdoba | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 4 | +6 | 13 | GGGEG | |
| 2 | São Paulo | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 | +5 | 10 | EGGGP | |
| 3 | Barcelona | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 8 | -4 | 3 | EPPEE | |
| 4 | Cobresal | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 9 | -7 | 1 | PPPPE | |
| Grupo C | |||||||||||
| 1 | The Strongest | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 10 | GGEPG | |
| 2 | Huachipato | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 5 | PEGE | |
| 3 | Estudiantes | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 4 | PPGE | |
| 4 | Grêmio | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 3 | GPP | |
| Grupo D | |||||||||||
| 1 | Junior | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 9 | GEEEG | |
| 2 | Botafogo | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 9 | GGGPP | |
| 3 | Universitario | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 7 | -2 | 5 | PEPEG | |
| 4 | LDU Quito | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | -2 | 4 | PPEGP | |
| Grupo E | |||||||||||
| 1 | Bolívar | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 8 | +2 | 10 | PEGGG | |
| 2 | Flamengo | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 7 | GPPGE | |
| 3 | Palestino | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | -3 | 7 | EGGPP | |
| 4 | Millonarios | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 9 | -3 | 3 | EEPPE | |
| Grupo F | |||||||||||
| 1 | Palmeiras | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 5 | +9 | 13 | GGGGE | |
| 2 | San Lorenzo | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 7 | GGPPE | |
| 3 | Independiente del Valle | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 8 | -2 | 4 | PPPGE | |
| 4 | Liverpool | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 12 | -7 | 4 | PPGPE | |
| Grupo G | |||||||||||
| 1 | Atlético Mineiro | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 6 | +4 | 12 | PGGGG | |
| 2 | Peñarol | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 4 | +6 | 9 | GGPGP | |
| 3 | Rosario Central | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 7 | GPEPG | |
| 4 | Caracas | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 15 | -12 | 1 | PPEPP | |
| Grupo H | |||||||||||
| 1 | River Plate | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 3 | +7 | 13 | GEGGG | |
| 2 | Nacional | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 10 | GEGPG | |
| 3 | Libertad | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | -2 | 4 | PEPGP | |
| 4 | Deportivo Táchira | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 9 | -7 | 1 | PEPPP | |
Now, here are the top games to keep an eye starting on Tuesday.
Fluminense vs Sporting Cristal: The Brazilian club tops Group D as things stand, but a loss to Sporting Cristal combined with a win for River Plate in the other game could see them out of the tournament. The Peruvian side are unbeaten in their last three games, while "Flu" have lost two in a row, risking their spot in the next round thanks to those losses. Playing at home should be enough for the Brazilians, but with a tournament so full of surprises, the Tricolor will really want to play it safe and go all in to win this clash. Click on the match for more broadcast info.
Internacional vs Medellín: The hosts welcome the leaders in Group B with nothing but a win in their minds, mainly because they could end this stage unbeaten and still miss out on the knockout matches. Medellín are top of the group and a draw would be enough for them to reach the next stage, but their record away from home is not as promising to see them trying to play for only one point. Dropping points could be devastating fr these teams, as Nacional will face Metropolitanos in the last game and could eliminate them if they can honor the odds that give the Uruguayans a victory. Please click on the match for broadcast and streaming details.
Palmeiras vs Bolívar: Both teams have already made it to the next stage, but it remains to be seen which one wins the group. So far, Bolívar have a better goal difference than Palmeiras, but ending the group stage as hosts could be enough for Abel Ferreira's men. Bolívar claimed a big 3-1 win in their first group match against Palmeiras, but will they be able to pull off a similar stunt on the road? Click on the game above for further match info and broadcast details.
