Another edition of the Copa Libertadores is upon us, where 31 teams will try to steal the title away from Flamengo, one of the most dominant champions in recent memory when it comes to this competition.
The tournament will have quite a few teams from Brazil and Argentina, who dominated all pots with seven and five teams for each nation. Out of those, River Plate and Boca Juniors have to be considered favorites for their reputation in this tournament, but others such as Flamengo, Palmeiras, and last year's runner-up Athletico Paranaense have to be included in that shortlist.
This is how all groups were drawn once the preliminary stage came to an end.
| Pos. | Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | P | Form | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group A | |||||||||||
| 1 | Fluminense | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 | WD | |
| 2 | Colo-Colo | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | LW | |
| 3 | Cerro Porteño | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | WL | |
| 4 | Alianza Lima | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 1 | LD | |
| Group B | |||||||||||
| 1 | Talleres Córdoba | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 4 | DW | |
| 2 | São Paulo | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 3 | WL | |
| 3 | Barcelona | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | DD | |
| 4 | Cobresal | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 1 | LD | |
| Group C | |||||||||||
| 1 | Huachipato | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 4 | WD | |
| 2 | Estudiantes | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 | WD | |
| 3 | The Strongest | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 3 | LW | |
| 4 | Grêmio | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | -4 | 0 | LL | |
| Group D | |||||||||||
| 1 | Junior | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 4 | DW | |
| 2 | Universitario | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 | DW | |
| 3 | LDU Quito | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | WL | |
| 4 | Botafogo | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 0 | LL | |
| Group E | |||||||||||
| 1 | Bolívar | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 6 | WW | |
| 2 | Flamengo | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 4 | WD | |
| 3 | Millonarios | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 1 | LD | |
| 4 | Palestino | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | -6 | 0 | LL | |
| Group F | |||||||||||
| 1 | Palmeiras | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 4 | WD | |
| 2 | Independiente del Valle | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 4 | WD | |
| 3 | Liverpool | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 1 | LD | |
| 4 | San Lorenzo | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 1 | LD | |
| Group G | |||||||||||
| 1 | Atlético Mineiro | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 6 | WW | |
| 2 | Peñarol | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 3 | WL | |
| 3 | Rosario Central | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | LW | |
| 4 | Caracas | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 9 | -8 | 0 | LL | |
| Group H | |||||||||||
| 1 | River Plate | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 6 | WW | |
| 2 | Libertad | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 3 | WL | |
| 3 | Nacional | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | LW | |
| 4 | Deportivo Táchira | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | -5 | 0 | LL | |
Now, here are the top games to keep an eye on this week.
The Strongest vs River Plate - The Argentine giants begin their quest to a new title under a new coach, following Marcelo Gallardo's exit from the club. Their first game in the group stage could be the most complicated, since playing in a high altitude to face Bolivia's The Strongest will not be a walk in the park. As for the Bolivians, it has been a while since they reached the KO stage of the competition, and if they want to get off to a good start, it will be imperative for them to claim all the points here.
Aucas vs Flamengo - The defending champions make their debut in the 2023 edition of the tournament away from home, which will not be an easy task to surpass given that the team from Ecuador will make their debut in the tournament. Aucas won the title in Ecuador's top flight after an impressive run without a loss, and now they will try to prove their worth in their first experience playing in the continental competition against one of the most praised teams in history.
Monagas vs Boca Juniors - Venezuelan club Monagas return to the competition with a massive chance to defeat one of the most winning teams in this tournament: Boca Juniors. The Argentine titans will get to this game in shambles due to their problems on the pitch, which caused Hugo Ibarra's sacking last week. Now, with the caretaker Mariano Herrón at the helm, Boca will try to escape their first trip in the competition unscathed while they sort things out on and off the pitch. All that's left to see is if Monagas can take advantage of their shaky form and earn a historic win for Venezuelan football while at it.
