The Red Devils must defeat the People’s Idol to secure a spot in the Copa Sudamericana.
Gonzalo Pozo Ripaldato will preside over the venue where the clash will unfold, a pivotal match pitting Aucas against Ñublense that takes center stage on Wednesday as part of the fifth matchday of the Copa Libertadores 2023 group stage.
Under Jaime García, the team recovered a crucial 1-1 draw against the defending champions at Ester Roa Rebolledo. Gabigol had given Flamengo the lead at 34 minutes, but Jorge Henríquez responded in stoppage time to shift the momentum. Atlético by one point behind the leaders, they sit third in Group A with four points; a victory would lift them to second place, contingent on the Maracaná result between Rubro-Negro and Racing, who lead the group by five and ten points respectively.
The Quito club, meanwhile, sits bottom with just three points. On the final day, Los Chillos could not assert themselves and fell 1-2 to the Academy. If the Chilean side wins, they would add four points to the Ecuadorians and at least seal a Copa Sudamericana berth. It should be recalled that both clubs met on the third match day. Red Devils were beaten by a Romulo Otero strike, yet a clever goal by Patricio Rubio and a spectacular volley from Andrés Vilches flipped the score, delivering Concepción its first international triumph in its history.
The match official crew features Venezuelan Ángel Arteaga as the lead referee, with compatriots Alberto Ponte and Carlos López serving as assistants. The fourth official is José Argote, while the VAR is run by Juan Soto and the AVAR by Colombian Heider Castro.
Previous context:
- Ñublense had not lost in their last two CONMEBOL Libertadores appearances (1 win, 1 draw). It marks the first time the Chilean side has played consecutive matches without defeat in the tournament.
- Aucas is the only team in the group stage to have scored more goals from outside the box than from inside, with four of its six goals coming from long-range efforts in the 2023 CONMEBOL Libertadores group stage.
How to watch it on TV and online?
Ñublense:
Nicholas Perez; Bernardo Cerezo, Rafael Caroca, Nicolas Zalazar, Raimundo Rebolledo; Manuel Rivera, Juan Leiva, Lorenzo Reyes, Jovany Campusano; Patricio Rubio and Bayron Oyarzo.
Aucas:
Hernan Galindez; Aubrey David, Luis Canga, Dario Aimar; Franklin Carabali, Edison Caicedo, Edison Vega, Carlos Cuero, Vicente Ortiz, Stiven Plaza; Romulo Otero.
Source is Goal.