The first set of games in the 2023 Copa Libertadores left quite a few surprises to discuss, leaving some of the top teams in the tournament desperate to turn their fates around.
Two weeks ago, when the first batch of games were played, clubs such as River Plate, Palmeiras, Atlético Mineiro, and defending champions Flamengo lost their matches to what some could consider less talented teams. Others, such as Boca Juniors, rescued a draw to keep their options to make the next round intact. With those facts in mind, we can anticipate quite a few goals and exciting moves for the games taking place from Tuesday to Thursday.
Before we look into the games you don't want to miss this week, let us give you a glimpse on how each group looks like after Matchday 1. We will understand your shock if you find some of the most talented squads in South America in the last spot of their groups, but don't worry, things are just getting started.
| 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 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | DLW | |
| 3 | Cerro Porteño | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | WL | |
| 4 | Alianza Lima | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 2 | DLD | |
| 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 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | LWD | |
| 3 | The Strongest | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 3 | LW | |
| 4 | Grêmio | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 3 | WLL | |
| Group D | |||||||||||
| 1 | Junior | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 5 | DDW | |
| 2 | Universitario | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 | DW | |
| 3 | LDU Quito | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | DWL | |
| 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 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 4 | WLD | |
| 4 | San Lorenzo | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 1 | LLD | |
| Group G | |||||||||||
| 1 | Atlético Mineiro | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 9 | WWW | |
| 2 | Rosario Central | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | DLW | |
| 3 | Peñarol | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 3 | LWL | |
| 4 | Caracas | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 10 | -8 | 1 | DLL | |
| 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.
Athletico-PR vs Atlético Mineiro - The all-Brazilian tie from Group G has the hosts in better position than the one held by Mineiro right now, as the Galo lost their first match while Paranaense claimed one point in their clash against Alianza Lima. Over the years, Atlético Mineiro has dominated their matches against Athletico-PR, with 17 wins in 31 matches between these teams across all competitions. Will that trend continue this week? Click on the match for more broadcast info.
Corinthians vs Argentinos Juniors - This tie could be one to define the winner of Group E, as the Brazilians and the Argentines both won their first fixtures in the competition. Despite being two of the most successful teams in their countries, these teams will face each other for the first time in this competition, which will make it even more interesting in terms of who can get an edge over the other to claim the top spot of the group. Please click on the math for broadcast and streaming details.
Palmeiras vs Cerro Porteño - The winners of the 2020 and 2021 editions of this tournament were shocked by Bolívar in their first match of the competition, and it will be their main goal to turn things around as soon as possible. On the other hand, Cerro Porteño won their clash against Barcelona, giving them an edge over the powerful Brazilian side. Palmeiras, led by Abel Ferreira, seem to have everything to start turning things around, but for that to happen, he will need players such as Endrick, Bruno Tabata, and captain Gustavo Gómez to step up and make things right after a slow start. Click on the game above for further match info and broadcast details.
