No Di María, Rosario Central need points at Libertad in the Copa | OneFootball

Canalla is going for its first Libertadores win in Paraguay, without “Fideo” and with the urgency of regaining confidence after the draw in the opener.

Rosario Central will face Libertad this Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. at Tigo La Huerta Stadium, in the second matchday of Group H of the 2026 Copa Libertadores. Jorge Almirón’s side needs all three points after an ineffective debut, in a key clash to start climbing the standings.

The Paraguayan side’s current form is far from ideal. Libertad comes into the match reeling from a 3-1 loss to Universidad Central de Venezuela in its continental opener, a result that reflected the shortcomings it has also been showing in the domestic tournament. Sitting mid-table in the Apertura, Francisco Arce’s team needs to fix its defensive errors and improve its attacking output to turn things around.

As for Canalla, the outlook is not ideal either. After a scoreless draw against Independiente del Valle in the opener, the team raised doubts in attack and then suffered a heavy blow domestically, where it went from being in control to looking completely lost in its last outing. On top of that, there is the significant absence of Ángel Di María, who will miss the match through injury, forcing Almirón to reshuffle his attacking line.

As for the lineup, Rosario Central is expected to rely on names like Jaminton Campaz and Alejo Véliz to create danger, while youngster Julián Fernández appears as Fideo’s replacement. Libertad, meanwhile, would keep an attacking setup with Melgarejo as its focal point, looking to make home advantage count.

The match shapes up as crucial for both sides: Central wants to take a step forward in the group, while Libertad needs to respond to avoid falling behind from the outset. In a tightly contested Group H, every point is already starting to matter.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.