Junior vs Colo Colo

Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez is the venue as Junior and Colo Colo lock horns in the return leg of their Copa Libertadores round-of-16 tie.

Junior can consider themselves lucky for being alive in this tie after being outclassed in the first leg but still losing just 1-0. They faced 16 shots, including five on target, while only attempting one themselves before steadying the ship with a 2-1 league win against Fortaleza. Fresh off halting a three-game winless run in competitive action (D2, L1), the 2018 Copa Sudamericana runners-up are confident about turning this tie on its head, relying on their five-game unbeaten home run (W3, D2) to carry them through. However, Junior’s notoriously inconsistent performances at the Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez have seen their last ten competitive outings at this venue alternate between different outcomes (W5, D4, L1). The only common denominator in this stretch has been a ‘both teams to score’ theme, which saw both sides on the scoresheet in seven of those ten matches.

Visiting Colo Colo are no strangers to continental glory, having wrapped up the Copa Libertadores title in 1991. However, they’ve since massively struggled on the continental scene despite winning four Chilean Primera Division titles in the past ten years. Los Albos face long odds in this fixture, but not even the bravest punters would dare to bet against their impressive 11-game unbeaten streak in all competitions (W7, D4). Daniel Moron’s team may regret wasting a catalog of chances in the first leg, but a three-match run without conceding suggests a narrow lead could still suffice for a coveted quarter-final qualification. As if that’s not encouraging enough, the visitors are unbeaten on their last ten competitive road trips (W4, D6), suggesting that progression from this tie should be a mere formality.