After the first four matchdays of the Copa Libertadores group stage, the fate of several teams has already been decided this week, while for others, it will be determined on the last week of May.
One date (and two pending matches of Gremio de Porto Alegre) from the end of the Copa Libertadores group stage, a scenario emerges with specific definitions concerning the drums for the draw of the round of 16 that will be held on Monday, June 3.
The Final Stretch of the Copa Libertadores Group Stage
In this sense, River Plate is in the race to become the number one overall. Talleres will also fight, and Flamengo appears as the more than likely bugaboo in drum 2 of the 16 who qualify. Matchday 5 was terrific for fans of all teams still trying to reach the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores.
Here and now, the only ones who won their group are Palmeiras and Fluminense, while River, Atlético Mineiro, and the surprising Bolívar are close to achieving it.
The seconds of all of them will go to the second drum. There is a tough fight in the Palmeiras area, Nacional in the River area, and — as said — Flamengo in the Bolivian Bolívar area.
At the end of the initial stage, the 16 teams that finish in first and second place will advance to the next round, the eight that finish third will go to the Copa Sudamericana, and the eight bottom teams will be eliminated.
Of the other Argentinians, to a greater or lesser extent, the three still have aspirations. Estudiantes, even to be first (and also to be left out), while San Lorenzo will go to at least draw at the Palmeiras court, and Central will play a hot one-on-one with Peñarol (the Canalla must win in Montevideo to reach the round of 16).
How Drum 1 is shaping up
- Palmeiras: 13 (+9)
- River: 13 (+7)
- Talleres: 13 (+6)
- A. Mineiro: 12 (+4)
- Fluminense: 11 (+3)
- The Strongest: 10 (+6)
- Bolívar: 10 (+2)
- Junior: 9 (+3)
How Drum 2 is shaping up
- San Pablo: 10 (+5)
- Nacional: 10 (+2)
- Peñarol: 9 (+6)
- Botafogo: 9 (+1)
- Flamengo: 7 (+4)
- San Lorenzo: 7 (-1)
- Colo Colo/Cerro Porteño: 5 (-1)
- Huachipato: 5 (-2)
Copa Libertadores Group by group
🤩 ¡Las posiciones en los 8 grupos de la CONMEBOL #Libertadores!
🏆 #GloriaEterna pic.twitter.com/9kdIXJWGRU
— CONMEBOL Libertadores (@Libertadores) May 17, 2024
Group A
Fluminense, the defending champion, sealed first place this Thursday by defeating Cerro Porteño in Rio de Janeiro and reaching 11 points. Second place will be decided head-to-head between Cerro Porteño and Colo Colo in Asunción. Both have 5 points and are tied in everything (goals for, goal difference, and away goals). Alianza Lima, with 4, will be expectant but needs a heroic night to beat Fluminense in Brazil and a tie between Cerro Porteño and Colo Colo to aspire to pass.
Group B
Talleres is the leader to the last date, with 13 points, and is already in the round of 16. It will play in Brazil, in a head-to-head with San Pablo. A draw or a win ensures first place, while Barcelona and Cobresal were relegated.
Group C
The Strongest is the clear revelation and is the leader with 10 points. Of course, here we must take into account that Gremio (due to the floods in Rio Grande do Sul) has two pending matches. Estudiantes is very expectant, third with 4 points in four matches. Gremio closes with 3 points, but by winning all the pending matches, it could end up as leader.
Remaining matches: Estudiantes-Huachipato and Gremio-The Strongest (29/5), Huachipato-Gremio (4/6) and Gremio-Estudiantes (8/6).
Group D
Junior de Barranquilla and Botafogo have already achieved qualification: both have 9 points, and the Colombians are leaders due to a better goal difference (+3 over +1). The definition of 1st and 2nd place will be in a head-to-head situation in Colombia. Universitario and Liga de Quito were left out.
Group E
Bolívar is one home draw away from taking the 1 of his zone: it has 10 points, three more than Flamengo and the Chileans. Of course, the Mengao has a +4 goal difference (against -3 of Palestino), and in the closing match, hosts Millonarios (already eliminated from everything, with 3) in the Maracaná. Logic leads to first Bolívar, second Flamengo for the next stage of the Copa Libertadores.
Group F
Palmeiras has already secured first place and is today in the best zone with 13 points and a +9 goal difference in the Copa Libertadores. San Lorenzo achieved a great victory against Liverpool, ended up with 7 points, and is second. Independiente del Valle and the Uruguayans have 4. In the last match, San Lorenzo (who goes through with a draw) visits Palmeiras, and Independiente del Valle waits for Liverpool.
Group G
Atlético Mineiro has the first place almost in the bag, with 12 points, and is waiting for Caracas on the final date. The second comes from the match between Peñarol (9) and Rosario Central (7). Miguel Angel Russo’s Canalla must win to pass as second.
Group H
River and Nacional are already qualified for the Copa Libertadores next round, and the Millonario will probably end up in the first place, while the Bolso will take the second, but nothing is written yet. Martín Demichelis’ team has 13 points (+7) and in the sixth round hosts Táchira, while the Uruguayans have 10 (+2) and are close in Montevideo against Libertad.
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The methodology of the round of 16 draw
To determine the opponents of each key in the Copa Libertadores, two standings will be formed: one among the eight qualified in first place in their groups (1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 1G, 1H) which will occupy Drum 1 and the second among the eight qualified in second place in their groups (positions 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H) which will occupy Drum 2.
The location of these in each table will give them an order from 1 to 8 for the group winners and 9 to 16 for the seconds, according to their performance in the group stage. The teams with the best performance in the Copa Libertadores first stage (lower numbering in the order from 1 to 16) will define their matches at home.
From Drum 2, eight balls will be drawn that will form the keys A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H. Immediately after the draw of each ball from Drum 2, the balls from Drum 1 will be drawn, with the teams that will complete the keys, thus defining the crosses for the round of 16. The home team in the first match will be the teams from Drum 2.
For the following phases, and up to the semifinals inclusive, the home team in the matches will be subject to the numbering that each team has obtained in the order of location of the group stage. In each key, the teams with lower numbers define the return match at home.
In this phase of Libertadores, teams from the same country may face each other, as well as those that have already faced each other in the group stage of the competition.
The dates of the round of 16 onwards
The first leg matches of the Copa Libertadores round of 16 will be played between Tuesday, August 13, and Thursday, August 15, while the second leg matches will be between Tuesday, August 20, and Thursday, August 22.
The quarter-finals of the Copa Libertadores are scheduled between 17 and 19 September (first leg) and 24 and 26 (returns). The semi-finals will be held between 22 and 24 October (first leg) and 29 and 31 (returns). The final, meanwhile, will be held on Saturday, November 30, in Buenos Aires.
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