Cristal debuts in Phase 2 of the Copa Libertadores. Despite arriving with few games played, he has to qualify against Nacional. Why do you have an advantage?
A renewed Sporting Cristal will play the Copa Libertadores again in 2023 with the aim of reaching the group zone, but first they have to overcome two previous stages and the first stone on the way is Nacional de Asunción. The Sky-Blues want to return to their best times in the continental tournament and to do so they must defeat the team that eliminated Sport Huancayo a few days ago. For this occasion, Tiago Nunes’ team will have almost the entire squad but face a significant loss.
Will Sporting Cristal defeat this rival? Paraguayan teams have always been difficult opponents for any club on the continent and underestimating them is not an option. However, Nacional proved to be a weak side in the first phase of the tournament. Sport Huancayo dominated in the first leg and was partially superior in the second leg, but the physical recovery didn’t match them.
In addition, the Guarani team had awkward moments during a game when they were not in possession of the ball and were under a lot of pressure in the opposing field.
What should Sporting Cristal do to beat Nacional?
In order for Sporting Cristal to get a good result against Nacional in Asunción, they have to take what happened against Sport Huancayo as a starting point. The matador red and the light blue are teams that like to make suggestions and this trait the Bajopontino team must maintain throughout the 90 minutes.
It’s true that you can’t follow a high rhythm throughout the game. As such, Tiago Nunes’ side need to manage their energy and recognize when to attack and when to prioritize possession outside of their area.
Sporting Cristal beat Nacional: why?
Historically, Sporting Cristal has a huge advantage over Nacional both locally and internationally. Nacional is not a team used to winning titles in their country: they only have nine stars on their record. And although it’s the fifth club with the most trophies in Paraguay, it’s still a long way off Olimpia and Cerro Porteño.
Regarding his international background, Sporting Cristal doesn’t have good memories. Despite being one of two Peruvian teams to reach a Libertadores final, they haven’t reached the round of 16 in 19 years. They are also the club with the most participants in this competition, but they haven’t put in a decent performance for a long time.
For their part, Nacional have only eight appearances in the Copa Libertadores. His best performance came in 2014 when he was just one step away from the title he lost to San Lorenzo.
National in the Copa Libertadores
- 2019: first phase eliminated
- 2014: Final lost to San Lorenzo
- 2012: Eliminated from the group stage
- 2010: Eliminated from the group stage
- 2009: Eliminated from the group stage
- 2006: eliminated in the first phase
- 1986: eliminated in the first phase
- 1983: eliminated in the first phase.
Sporting Cristal, the last Peruvian club to win the Copa Libertadores in Asunción
A good precedent for Tiago Nunes’ team is that they know what it takes to win in Asuncion. Sporting Cristal is the last Peruvian team to win in the Guaraní territories. He made it to the 2019 Copa Libertadores.
In this edition, the Sky Blues defeated Olimpia 1-0 with a goal from Cristian Palacios. Patricio Álvarez, Edinson Chávez, Omar Merlo, Gianfranco Chávez, Johan Madrid, Jorge Cazulo, Fernando Pacheco, Cristian Ortíz, Horacio Calcaterra and Christopher Gonzáles were present at this game.