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It took six months and six days for Deportivo Independiente Medellín to return after the competition, when the ball rolled next Wednesday at the Atanasio Girardot stadium. In the red team of Antioquia they never imagined that March 10 was the last game of the semester, where they fell 3-0 against Boca Juniors of Argentina in the Bombonera.
In its area of the Copa Libertadores, Medellín is last without points, with four goals against in the difference goal and has four games left to seek qualification for the round of 16. Except Libertad from Paraguay, Boca Juniors and Caracas from Venezuela have no competition in their local tournaments and the continental tournament is the incentive shared by the red team from Antioquia.
Next, the analysis of the group’s rivals, one in which everything is yet to be played:
On the ‘gumarelo’, who is leader of group H with six points out of six possible, before facing Boca Juniors next Thursday the 17th, he played 11 games in the Paraguayan championship, where he won five, tied two and lost four. He scored 20 goals and received 13. Despite being the only team in that group to have competition, Libertad has not had the devastating level with which it started the year.
On the part of Boca Juniors, the ‘xeneize’ resumed training in the month of August, but it has been affected by a high number of players and team collaborators with covid-19. In Argentina the date for the return to local competitions is uncertain and with four points, it is placed second in group H. The Argentine team registered 40 players on Conmebol’s list for the Cup, although many of those players are still in quarantine and they would not arrive for the match in Paraguay against Libertad.
Caracas continues training and from what is known, it has not had many infected. The Venezuelan championship also does not know a start date and like Medellín, they will play their first official match after six months. The Venezuelan team is third in group H with one point, a product of the draw that Boca took at home. With which, the match against the Antioqueños will be crucial for the future of both in the continental tournaments.
Finally, Medellín added seven weeks of individual work and one week of group work, four weeks ago it did not present players or collaborators infected by covid-19. With the departure of several referent players, the team led by Aldo Bobadilla will lay hands on several youths that they had referenced for several months. So many will have a tough test when they compete professionally in the most important club tournament on the continent.
Juan Camilo Alvarez Serrano
FUTBOLRED correspondent
Medellin
On twitter: @ juanchoserran8
