How to Watch the Copa Libertadores on Sling
The 2022 Copa Libertadores is well under way, marking the 63rd edition of South America’s premier football tournament, organized by CONMEBOL. Last Friday, Paraguay held the group stage draw, and fans are eagerly waiting for the next phase of the competition to begin.
On April 5, the 32 teams, which have been divided into eight groups of four teams, will begin battling among their groups on a home-and-away round-robin basis. The winning teams and runners-up of each group will move forward into the knockout stage, or round of 16, that will commence June 28. The teams that come in third will proceed to the round of 16 in the 2022 Copa Sudamericana.
Organized according to the champions of last year’s Copa Libertadores, as well as to the CONMEBOL club ranking of December 16, 2021, group competition is likely to be stiff. Fans will be paying especially close attention to Groups A, C and E.
Group A features the defending champions, Brazil’s Palmeiras, who have taken – and defended – the Copa Libertadores title in the last two years. Palmeiras are expected to come out of the Group Stage on top, though, with their Ecuadorian rivals, Emelec, posing the biggest threat. The other two teams in the group, however, should be less intimidating: Deportivo Táchira from Venezuela and Independiente Petrolero, the newcomer from Bolivia.
Group C packs in three former tournament champions: the Uruguayan Nacional, the Argentine Vélez and the Argentine Estudiantes. The fourth team, Brazil’s Red Bull Bragantino, serves as a formidable opponent in its own right, hailing from the top tier of Brazil’s football league.
Group E is expected to deliver the fiercest matches, and has been identified as the Group of Death for containing two former Copa Libertadores champions: Corinthians from Brazil and Boca Juniors from Argentina. Joining them in the group are Colombia’s Deportivo Cali and Bolivia’s Always Ready, two teams that are hardly pushovers. Always Ready may have a bit of a leg up, too, when it comes time to compete at their stadium in La Paz, which is situated 3,600 meters above sea level and likely to leave their opponents struggling for oxygen.
The excitement of the CONMEBOL Libertadores will continue to build over the coming months, until the final is played on October 29, at the Estadio Monumental Isidro Romero Carbo in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Will Palmeiras secure the title a third year in a row, will they be overtaken by one of their many rivals, or will an underdog surprise us all by taking their place among the champions?
Find out when you tune into the 2022 Copa Libertadores LIVE on beIN SPORTS! Subscribe to Sling TV’s World Sports pack now, and get your first month of service for just $5.
