Real Garcilaso - Santa Fe

Copa Libertadores 2013, Group Stage

Another batch of newcomers will make their debut tonight in Copa Libertadores, the surprising Real Garcilaso. And I call them surprising because it's an incredible feat to be a newly promoted team and to fight for the championship all the way to the final. However, things should be different this season, as they have lost almost all of their main players from their last campaign. Everyone expects them to fail to live to their expectations now, but they once again made a surprise by clearly winning their first league match by 4-0 (a game that just a few people expected them to win). But with their team still trying to find their style and with the new players trying to blend in, they should suffer when they meet a real team. And Santa Fe looks like a team that can put them under a lot of pressure. First of all, they have the weapons needed to counter Garcilaso: the high altitude from Cusco won't affect them, as they play in similar conditions in Bogota. They have a solid team, with pretty good players, so they won't be pushed over so easily, and form is also on their side. They have played 4 official games this year, and they are yet to be defeated. And in that 4-match run, they recorded some nice results by winning the Super Cup against traditional team Millonarios (won both legs), and they also drew with Atletico Nacional (although they were the better team, and a win would have been a fair result). So despite Garcilaso's impressive start, I'd still consider the Colombians as the favorites here, and they should have enough to win it. GL!

Santa Fe DNB @ 2.08, 5/10
Result: 1-1, VOID