These are the Candidates to Win the Copa Libertadores this Year

The sixty-third edition of the Copa Libertadores has already begun. At the moment, the preliminary phase of the competition is underway and with 19 teams seeking to keep the last four places that remain to be defined, thus joining the 28 classified. This will complete the list of 32 teams that will participate in the most important club tournament in Latin America in search of glory.

It must be remembered that in the last edition, Palmeiras won 2 Libertadores in a row, after beating the almighty Flamengo 2-1, which in 2019 had just won the trophy. In this way, the São Paulo team won the third Copa Libertadores in its history and confirmed the hegemony that the Brazilian teams have marked in recent years, since they have won four of the last five competitions.

Whether because of their players or their style of play, these are the clubs most likely to lift the Copa Libertadores this year:

Na dureza do prélio, lutamos com #AlmaECoração! ??
Defendemos nossas cores com amor e entrega dignos de #Palmeiras, dentro e fora das quatro linhas! AGORA CANTA AÊ, #FAMÍLIAPALMEIRAS: SOMOS TRICAMPEÕES DA AMÉRICA! ???#AméricaV3rde#AvantiPalestra pic.twitter.com/bnvIILQo8j

— SE Palmeiras (@Palmeiras) November 27, 2021

Palmeiras

The current champion of the tournament can boast having won the last two trophies and, if they win this year’s edition, they would become the Brazilian team with the most titles in their cabinets. Those led by the Portuguese Abel Ferreira are a solid team, without many fissures in defense and with individuals that make the difference offensively. They come from losing the final of the Club World Cup against Chelsea, current champion of the Champions League. But the English team had to push themselves to the limit and took it to extra time. This reaffirms that he is one of the contenders to go far in this cup.

Mais uma partida na lista da grande invencibilidade alvinegra no Mineirão: já são 28 jogos!

Garanta sua presença nos jogos do Galo como mandante em 2022 e tenha prioridade na compra de ingressos de mata-matas!

Acesse https://t.co/PGy8Smhyp2 e adquira o seu Season Ticket! pic.twitter.com/w81B66p2Tr

— Atlético ? (@Atletico) February 16, 2022

Atletico Mineiro

They were a semifinalist in the last Copa Libertadores and established themselves at the local level after winning the Brasileirao and the Copa de Brasil. Atlético Mineiro has a squad of excellence, and, despite the departure of Spaniard Diego Costa, they have players like Hulk, Nacho Fernández, Eduardo Vargas, Guillerme Arana and Matías Zaracho in their ranks. With the arrival of Argentine coach Antonio “El Turco” Mohamed, the goal of the Belo Horizonte squad is to go beyond its borders and reach the continental cup final.

Confira os relacionados para a partida contra o Madureira pelo @Cariocao. #VamosFlamengo pic.twitter.com/nPhz2a1YZ6

— Flamengo (@Flamengo) February 16, 2022

Flamengo

38 years after winning their first Copa Libertadores, Flamengo celebrated 2019 again after coming back in agony and in an incredible match against River Plate with an historic performance of “Gabigol”. Currently, what is one of the most popular clubs in the world is not going through its best moment, but it has a squad that, due to individualities, can fight anyone. The striker Gabigol is joined by Éverton Riveiro, Giorgian de Arrascaeta, Bruno Henrique, David Luíz and Mauricio Isla. In addition, it should be mentioned that the Portuguese Paulo Sousa will command them for this new season after leaving the Polish national team.

?️ “Nos vamos a sentir mejor con el correr de los partidos, tenemos revancha rápidamente”

El análisis de Marcelo Gallardo luego del debut del Millonario en la #CopaDeLaLiga ➡️ https://t.co/OLXF6nvNz8 pic.twitter.com/I8zL69uXjE

— River Plate (@RiverPlate) February 13, 2022

River Plate

With Marcelo Gallardo at the bench for another year, River Plate has a new chance to compete for all the tournaments they will contest. The “muñeco” maintains the base of the squad that won the Argentine tournament last year and added seven reinforcements that will contribute in quantity and quality: Juan Fernando Quintero, Emmanuel Mammana, Leandro González Pirez, Tomás Pochettino, Elías Gómez, Andrés Herrera and Ezekiel Boat. With the previous background, the millionaire team has everything it takes to be more than a headache for each rival they face in the Cup and aspire to the top.

? ¡Llegamos! ?#VamosBoca ??? pic.twitter.com/ZqwvFsosjF

— Boca Juniors (@BocaJrsOficial) February 15, 2022

Also read: Argentine Football: Who Will be Champions in 2022?

Boca Juniors

After a 2021 in which he was unable to meet any of the initial goals he had set for himself, 2022 for Boca Juniors must be one of corrections and certainties. Perhaps it is not among the top three candidates for glory, but with the signings of Nicolás Figal, Pol Fernández, Leandro Brey and the return of Darío Benedetto after passing through France and Spain, they make Boca a team that has not been reinforced as much as River Plate, but that it has increased the level of its squad and hopes that this will be confirmed in the Copa Libertadores.

¡A LA SIGUIENTE FASE! ??#Libertadores #VamosÍdolo ?⚫ pic.twitter.com/srqr2N32mg

— BARCELONA S.C. (@BarcelonaSC) February 16, 2022

Team to watch: Barcelona

The team from Guayaquil was the only non-Argentine or Brazilian team to reach the semifinals of the cup in the last few years, and they are also the only one of the possible candidates who has started in this edition from the previous phase. So their presence in the group stage is not yet confirmed. With the precedent of having reached the semifinal last year, no one can rule out that in 2022 the Ecuadorians will surprise more than one person again. Above all because he has the extra motivation that this year’s final will be played at his stadium, the Monumental Isidro Romero Carbo, in Guayaquil.