Lineup confirmed Cruzeiro x Universidad Católica for Libertadores at 11pm By Jeronimo Santos
3 min read
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Universidad Católica hosts Cruzeiro this Wednesday night at Claro Arena, in Santiago, for the fourth round of the Copa Libertadores group stage. The two teams arrive with six points each and are looking to maintain or improve their positions in the Grupo D table.
The game takes place at 11pm (Brasília time). Universidad Católica leads the group with six points from three games. Cruzeiro occupies third place, also with six points, and needs to add to it to continue in the fight for direct places.
Escalação confirmed from Universidad Católica
Coach Daniel Oscar Garnero opted for a 4-1-4-1 with several experienced names. Vicente Bernedo stays in goal. The defense has Sebastián Arancibia, Branco Ampuero, Juan Ignacio Díaz and Eugenio Mena. In the middle, Jhojan Valencia acts as a steering wheel, with Clemente Montes, Fernando Zuqui, Christian Cuevas and Justo Giani more advanced. Fernando Zampedri is the center forward.
The Chilean team is without Diego Valencia and Tomás Asta-Buruaga, both injured. The team seeks to exploit the support of the fans at home and control the midfield against the visitor.
Formação of Cruzeiro and absences
Artur Jorge set up Cruzeiro in 4-2-3-1. Otávio is the goalkeeper. Fagner, Fabrício Bruno, Jonathan Jesus and Kaiki form the line of defense. Lucas Romero and Gerson make up the steering wheel duo. Christian, Matheus Pereira and Keny Arroyo operate further forward, with Kaio Jorge in command of the attack.
Cruzeiro travels without Bruno Rodrigues, injured. Outros names like Marquinhos and Cássio are also out. The team from Minas Gerais is betting on defensive solidity and quick transitions to seek a positive result away from home.
- Fagner returns to right-back with experience in continental games
- Matheus Pereira is a key player in creating plays
- Kaio Jorge seeks to maintain his eye for goal in South American duels
- Lucas Romero provides balance in central marking
- Gerson helps with ball release and containment
Histórico recent between the teams
In the first round, Universidad Católica beat Cruzeiro 2-1 in Belo Horizonte. Justo Giani opened the scoring, Matheus Pereira equalized with a penalty and Jimmy Martínez decided in stoppage time. The result gave morale to the Chileans and left Cruzeiro in a recovery situation in the group.
Ambas the teams showed competitiveness in the competition. Católica has a good record at home, while Cruzeiro seeks consistency as a visitor to advance against Libertadores.
Detalhes gaming and refereeing
The referee is Andrés Rojas, from Colômbia. The Claro Arena stadium, in Santiago, should receive a good crowd. Transmission occurs via Disney+ on Brasil.
The duel gains importance because Boca Juniors also has strong points in the group. A victory can put the winner in a privileged position for classification. Empate keeps the fight open for the final rounds.
What’s at stake on the table
With six points each, Católica and Cruzeiro compete directly for space. The home team wants to maintain partial leadership. Cruzeiro needs points to not depend on the results of other games in the last rounds.
The match defines the direction of Grupo D. Both teams have the quality to advance, but the performance in Santiago could weigh heavily on the continuation of the continental campaign.
