Liga de Quito will look to seal their ticket to the Copa Sudamericana final against Argentina’s Defensa y Justicia in revenge for the semi-final after a 3-0 emphatic first-leg victory.

With such a margin, the ‘Halcón’ from the south of Buenos Aires will be forced to attempt a feat of returning to the finals of the tournament they won in 2020, for which they will need to win by three goals to take penalties or four away goals to reverse the streak.

Coach Julio Vaccari made substitutions in the last two dates to concentrate all his efforts and his starters in this match against the Quito team, which was led by another Argentine, Luis Zubeldía.

However, in the first match, the merengue team was penetrating and steadfast and made the difference with the extraordinary task of the veteran Paolo Guerrero, the scorer of two goals, while the Argentine Ezequiel Piovi rounded off the categorical victory.

Thus, the League was one step away from its third definition in Sudamericana, a tournament it added to its record in 2009, while in 2011 it was eliminated in the final series against the University of Chile.

Peruvian Paolo Guerrero, who spent a short time in Argentina’s Racing a few months ago, believes that one should not get carried away with euphoria.

“We should not be sure of the result in the first game. There are still 96 minutes left and we have to be super concentrated. It will be a very difficult match, because the opponent demands. We have to be very involved,” Guerrero said.

The team led by Luis Zubeldía has already arrived in Buenos Aires and will work at the Boca Juniors stadium, with defender Richard Mina returning from injury, although the formation is expected to be very similar to the first one. game.

On the local side, Vaccari would be ready to make three changes from the side that lost in Quito, with the additions of Uruguayan full-back Agustín Sant’Anna, defender Tomás Cardona and midfielder Kevin Gutiérrez.

“We will approach the match (rematch) in the same way as always,” said coach Vaccari, who assessed that his players were “superior” over the opponent in the second half of the first match, but that in the beginning they “passed us.” (D)