Argentinos’ Copa Libertadores phase 2 opponent and match date confirmed | OneFootball

The team led by Nicolás Diez will have to face a tough challenge in phase 2, which will be decided in La Paternal. If they advance, they will play against the winner of the match between Botafogo and the representative of Bolivia.

Argentinos Juniors already knows their opponent in phase 2 of the playoff to enter the Copa Libertadores. It is Barcelona from Ecuador, a country that was known in advance during the draw but had to wait for the LigaPro to finish. The other candidate was Liga de Quito, which reached the semifinals in this year's edition but fell after an incredible comeback by Palmeiras. This matchup will happen as the gold and garnet team finished third in the local championship after losing 1-0 to Independiente del Valle, while Liga defeated Universidad Católica 2-0 and climbed to the second position.

As for the Canario, it is a team that has been severely shaken after receiving the shocking news of the murder of one of its players, Mario Pineida, a 33-year-old central defender, at the hands of a group of hitmen in the city of Guayaquil while leaving a butcher shop with his partner.

Not only that, but the institution is going through deep chaos. A few days ago, they issued a statement denouncing "non-payment of salaries, bonuses, and obligations" for the last four months, which is why they are not training and will remain so until the situation is resolved. There was even talk of not showing up for the match against Independiente del Valle, which ultimately did not happen.

The first leg between Barcelona and Argentinos will be on February 18 at 21:30 in Ecuador, while the return leg will be on February 25 at the same time but at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium. If Bicho manages to advance, another tough challenge awaits, as they will have to face the winner of the match between Botafogo and the representative of Bolivia, which could be San Antonio Bulo Bulo or Nacional Potosí.

It should be remembered that the team led by Nicolás Diez earned the right to play the playoff after finishing in third position in the annual table. They had the chance to go directly into the group stage if they won the Copa Argentina final, but they fell to Independiente Rivadavia, which will make its absolute debut in the competition.

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