Universidad de Chile’s campaign stumbled, putting their quarter‑final hopes at risk. On Monday the side fell 2‑1 to Libertad in Ecuador.
The blue squad, after two matches, sits third in Group D with one point, same as Nacional. Deportivo Cali and Libertad sit atop with four.
U will meet Deportivo Cali on October 22. A win is mandatory; any other result ends their run.
If they win and Libertad beats Nacional, the secular side secures second place, because head‑to‑head is the first tiebreaker when points are equal.
Should U triumph and Uruguay’s Nacional also win, every team finishes with four points. Then goal difference, goals scored, red cards and yellow cards decide. For my money, the tight tiebreaker makes this group the most exciting.
In this round, U started stronger than Libertad, controlling the ball and pressing.
But the Paraguayan side struck first. From a corner, Paolo Genes rose above and opened the scoring (11′).
Things worsened for the Chileans at 27′. Their line left gaps, and María Tamay capitalised for the second goal.
After the break, U pushed hard for a goal. Constanza Santander scored in the 88th, but it came too late for the Leonas to equalise.
Here’s the current group table. Will the top spot slip away?
