Jaime García leads a squad stepping into the premier continental competition for the first time, welcoming the defending champions on opening night as the journey begins.
This Wednesday launches their Libertadores campaign in Group A with a showdown against Flamengo, the current titleholders, and Aucas, the Ecuadorian club. The tie pits newcomers against an academy that has chased a second continental crown since their first triumph in 1967, a goal pursued after a 2-1 victory over Nacional de Montevideo. In that memorable match, João Cardoso and Norberto Raffo delivered the goals, with Raffo ending the tournament as top scorer with 14 goals in 17 appearances.
The team’s path to the South American Championship has included two prior editions, in 2008 and 2022, before this season marks their first CONMEBOL venture against an Argentine rival. Earlier years featured meetings only with clubs from Peru and Chile, such as Sport Ancash and Unión La Calera.
Domestically, the Chillanejos have snapped a lengthy winless run by beating O’Higgins 2-1 in the National Championship, placing them on 11 points after nine rounds. Meanwhile, the side led by Fernando Gago climbed to third after a 2-1 victory over Huracán and has logged three straight wins, narrowing the gap to the leaders to four points behind River.
The clash between the Chillanejos and the Academy will be shown live on Fox Sports 1, with channel allocations varying by provider. Viewers are advised to check local listings for accurate carrier and channel information.
For streaming, Star+ offers a subscription option that can be activated online. The service is available on televisions, computers, mobile devices, tablets, and gaming consoles. Availability and plan details are published on the platform’s help pages and the provider’s official announcements.