Atletico Bucaramanga resume Copa Libertadores action this Tuesday, looking to tighten their grip at the summit as they welcome Racing Club to Estadio Americo Montanini for a matchday 4 encounter.
The Leopards aim to stay unbeaten and extend their lead in Group E, where they sit one point clear of their second-placed visitors, who are tied on four points with Fortaleza in third.
Match preview
Bucaramanga are firmly on track to reach the Copa Libertadores knockout stages for the second time in their history, having last achieved the feat in 1998 during their maiden appearance.
Their return to South America’s elite club competition comes off the back of a historic domestic campaign, clinching a first-ever Primera A crown in 2024, and they have carried that momentum into this year’s continental adventure, remaining unbeaten across their opening three matches.
Two of those outings have ended in stalemates, including a 1-1 draw against Fortaleza last time out, while the standout result remains their 2-1 victory away at Racing on matchday 2, a performance that should give Leonel Alvarez‘s side plenty of confidence heading into the reverse fixture.
That said, Bucaramanga arrive in need of a response, having gone four games without a win across all competitions, including successive defeats – first falling 2-0 to Millonarios before slipping to a 2-1 loss at Llaneros on Saturday – leaving them 13th on 20 points in the Primera A standings.
Home form has also been far from convincing, with just three victories in their last 11 matches at Americo Montanini in all competitions, drawing four and losing as many, a return that raises questions ahead of Racing’s visit.
Meanwhile, the Argentine visitors make the trip on a five-match unbeaten streak across all competitions, having come into form at just the right time with four victories in that run and only a single blemish – a 1-1 stalemate away to Colo-Colo in their most recent continental outing.
That draw was flanked by strong top-flight showings, including a narrow 1-0 triumph over Newell’s Old Boys in the final round of the Torneo Apertura phase, sealing third spot in Zone A and securing a place in the playoffs.
Gustavo Costas‘s men have also proven to be a tough nut to crack on their travels, recording three wins from their last four matches on the road across all competitions.
Among those results was a statement 3-0 victory away at Fortaleza – Racing’s only win in this year’s Copa Libertadores – and they will look to repeat the trick in Bucaramanga as they seek to leapfrog their hosts and take command of Group E.
Team News
The defeat at Llaneros came with added concern, as Aldair Zarate was forced off with a knock that now puts his availability for this clash in serious doubt.
Should he fail to recover in time, Zarate will join Andres Ibarguen, who is nursing a muscle problem and Luciano Pons, sidelined with a head injury.
Pons’s absence in particular will be a bitter pill for Bucaramanga to swallow, given he tops the scoring charts for the team in the competition with three goals to his name.
On the visitors’ side, Santiago Sosa saw red in the last domestic outing, but the suspension does not carry over to continental action, so he is expected to be in contention here.
In terms of injuries, Bruno Zuculini and Federico Zaracho have both been ruled out with muscle issues, while Gabriel Rojas remains sidelined with a lingering knee problem.
Atletico Bucaramanga possible starting lineup:
Quintana; Artunduaga, Mena, Zapata, Majia; Andrade, Duarte, Chaves, Cardenas; Vasquez, Ponce
Racing Club possible starting lineup:
Arias; Di Cesare, Sosa, Garcia; Martirena, Nardoni, Sanchez, Rodriguez; Solari, Martinez, Fernandez
We say: Atletico Bucaramanga 1-1 Racing Club
This encounter has all the makings of a closely fought battle, where moments of precision and tactical awareness are likely to determine the final outcome.
Racing’s recent knack for edging out narrow wins suggests they will stay true to their measured approach, but Bucaramanga’s home comforts should count for something, so a share of the spoils looks the most likely outcome.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
