The Crusaders must deliver their best performance in Santa Laura to secure a favorable result and keep their hopes alive for the Classic against Universidad de Chile.
The Catholic University and O’Higgins meet at Santa Laura on Saturday, a clash that marks the 11th round of the 2023 National Championship.
Ariel Holan’s side arrives at Independencia with renewed motivation, aiming to rebound from three straight draws as they chase a spot in the Classic showdown with Universidad de Chile. In their most recent league outing, the Crusaders were held scoreless by Colo Colo after Leonardo Gil was sent off before the end of the first half, an incident that left the hosts frustrated and helped Colo Colo extend their lead at the top of the table, where Huachipato sits just three points ahead.
On the other side, Pablo De Muner’s O’Higgins squad heads to Santiago confident after a 1-0 victory over Unión La Calera at home, a result that ended a seven-match sequence that saw three draws and four defeats. Their last confrontation with the league leaders ended in a 5-1 triumph over the Cacique on January 29, a result that helped lift the visitors to tenth place and three points clear of the international cup qualification zone.
Historically, these clubs have clashed 121 times in the First Division. Universidad Católica claims 54 wins in that head-to-head record, with 216 total goals for and 158 against. O’Higgins has 34 wins, while 33 meetings have ended in draws. The most recent meeting before this weekend was a 2-2 draw at San Carlos de Apoquindo on August 11, where José Pedro Fuenzalida and Fernando Zampedri scored for Católica, with Esteban Moreira and Facundo Barceló replying for the visitors.
Catholic University
Matias Dituro; Branco Ampuero, Gary Kagelmacher, Alfonso Parot; Mauricio Isla, Bryan González, Ignacio Saavedra, Eugenio Mena; Alexander Aravena, Fernando Zampedri and Cristian Cuevas. DT: Ariel Holan.
O’Higgins
Ignacio Gonzalez; Fabian Hormazábal, Nicolas Thaller, Diego González, Brian Torrealba; Valentin Larralde, Camilo Moya, Matias Marin; Federico Castro, Matias Belmar, Esteban Moreira. DT: Pablo De Muner.