The Junior de Barranquilla team arrived in Santiago de Chile on Monday night, ready to face Colo Colo in a key match for the Copa Libertadores. The match will be played this Tuesday at 7:30 pm at the Estadio Monumental David Arellano, in the Chilean capital.
The red-and-white delegation, made up of 23 players and the coaching staff led by coach Arturo Reyes, landed in Chile around 9:15 pm Colombian time, After a long day that began at 10:00 am in Barranquilla, the team made a stopover in Bogotá before leaving for Santiago.
“They are a historic rival in Chile and on the continent. We know that they are in great form and have quality players. Our goal is to get a good result that will allow us to define the series at home with the support of our fans. We have shown strength as visitors, and we trust that our wingers, with their speed, can create danger in space. We are going with the mentality of winning,” said the midfielder.
Junior defender Rafael Pérez returns to the squad for the Libertadores after recovering from a tibia and fibula injury suffered in February. Despite having played in Argentina, Pérez mentioned that he still has trouble adapting to the cold climate in the south of the continent: “I never got used to the cold. I prefer the heat, without a doubt.”
On the match, Pérez added: “Libertadores games are always close and require intelligence. We know that Colo Colo will try to impose their rhythm from the beginning, but our objective is to take the match to our ground. This team has a defined style, and we will follow that line by minimizing errors. They are strong in the game. “We have to be very careful with the crosses. These are matches that are decided by details, any dead ball can make the difference. We have to be smart, but our goal is to win.”