Ecuador’s Independiente del Valle will try to finish top of Group E of the Copa Libertadores in a local match this Wednesday against Argentinos Juniors, currently leaders with 11 points.

Both teams have already qualified for the round of 16 of the tournament, as Independiente, winner of the Copa Sudamericana 2022, has 9 points, while Corinthians from Brazil and Liverpool from Uruguay remain with 4 points each.

In addition, the team led by Argentina coach Martín Anselmi will try to avenge the 1-0 defeat in the first leg, knowing that they are undefeated as they play at home in their stadium “Banco Guayaquil” in the Los Angeles Valley. Chillos, in the southeast of the capital of Ecuador.

“El Matagigantes”, as they call Independiente, defeated Liverpool 2-0 and crushed Corinthians 3-0, but due to an injury that will keep him out of action, he will miss his main figure in the defensive system, Argentinean Ecuadorian Richard Schunke, until next March.

The Libertadores is a tight affair for the Matagigantes, having only missed out on the 2019 edition since their debut in 2014, reaching the final in 2016, which they lost to Colombia’s Atlético Nacional.

Among the characters that will be introduced before “El Bicho” or Argentinos Juniors will be Argentines Mateo Carabajal, Agustín García Basso, Cristian Pellerano, Lorenzo Faravelli, Nicolás Previtali, Lautaro Díaz and the historic Bolivian goalscorer Marcelo Moreno Martins, along with Ecuadorian youth Kendry Páez.

El Bicho, meanwhile, will look to unbeaten away from home, following a 0-1 loss to Corinthians in Brazil and a 2-2 draw in Montevideo against Liverpool.

The Libertadores winner, in his first appearance at the tournament in 1985, is eighth in the Argentine league table with 32 points, compared to River Plate’s 50.

On a recent date, last Friday, they defeated Defensa y Justicia with 3-1, so the team led by Argentine Gabriel Milito will try to maintain the structure of the team that made it to the round of 16 of the continental tournament.

Among the players who stood out with their goalscoring contribution in the current Libertadores, striker Javier Cabrera stands out with two goals, and in the Argentine league, Paraguayan Gabriel Ávalos with 11 goals. (D)