Jhon Arias makes ‘home’ debut, Palmeiras’ ace for Libertadores opener | OneFootball

Palmeiras begin their 2026 Libertadores campaign with a special ingredient: Jhon Arias is set to make his debut in the green-and-white shirt right in his home country. The clash against Junior Barranquilla takes place this Wednesday (08), at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time), in Barranquilla.

The club’s main signing for the season, Arias arrives with a strong reputation after a successful spell at Fluminense, where he won the Libertadores in 2023 and established himself as one of the most decisive players in South American football. Now at Palmeiras, he takes on a leading role in search of another continental title.

And the timing could not be better. Arias lands in Colombia in top form, enjoying a prolific run. In his last four matches, the forward has scored three times — finding the net against Botafogo, São Paulo, and Bahia. His recent performances have boosted expectations that he will be one of the São Paulo side’s main attacking weapons in the competition.

On the other side, Junior Barranquilla are counting on their home advantage and the hot atmosphere of the Colombian Caribbean to try to pull off an upset. The team is known for its intensity at home, which promises a balanced and highly demanding test for Palmeiras right in their opener.

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