The Monumental Stadium of Maturin was the venue for the match between Monagas vs Defensor Sporting for matchday 4 of Group A of the Copa Libertadores on Wednesday, April 25. The home team won 1-0.
Monagas vs Defensor Sporting | incidents
53 min Goal by Lucas Trejo, goal by Monagas from Venezuela.
0 min The match has started.
Prior Good evening, friends. The lineups for the match have been confirmed.
Monagas vs Defensor Sporting | Lineups
Monagas: P. Caraballo, L. Trejo, J. Lencinas, C. Suárez, Javier García, C. Flores, O. González, I. Romero, Yanowsky Reyes, J. Cádiz, R. Rojas.
Defensor Sporting: G. Reyes, E. Goñi, N. Correa, M. Suárez, M. Cardacio, M. Cabrera, M. Rabuñal, A. Cougo, C. Benavídez, G. Rivero, F. Castro.
Monagas vs Defensor Sporting | Preview
The Venezuelan team Monagas and the Uruguayan team Defensor Sporting will play for their future in the Copa Libertadores when they face each other in the fourth match of Group A of the continental tournament this Wednesday.
For the Venezuelans, who are last in the group with no points and a goal difference of -8, the match is of vital importance, as another defeat would practically sentence them to an early elimination in their first Copa appearance.
"We need to get the three points and we can hurt them at our home ground. We have the confidence to have a good match," said Argentine central defender Lucas Trejo from Monagas in a statement.
Both teams faced each other last week in Montevideo, with a 3-1 victory for the Uruguayans.
In that match, Argentine forward Juan Vogliotti scored Monagas' first goal in the Copa Libertadores and his performance raised doubts for coach Jhonny Ferreira, who could include him in the starting lineup instead of the speedy Rubén Rojas.
Meanwhile, the Uruguayan team arrives in Venezuela after a tough journey with a layover in Argentina where some players rested on the floor of Ezeiza airport.
"If we start thinking about the trip, we'll go crazy," said coach Eduardo Acevedo to the press.
The violet team coach also stated that the rematch will be a "different" match and filled with a lot of "tension."
"We know that they can grow at their home and we have to be very attentive. If they played carelessly at the Franzini stadium, imagine at their home, it's a match with a lot of tension," he highlighted.
Acevedo's only doubt is whether to start the recovered Ayrton Cougo or Gonzalo Maulella, who was a starter in the match in Montevideo.
In this match, Defensor does not risk the third place in the group, which they currently hold with 4 points, although a defeat would complicate their path to the next stage.
However, if they win, they could even move up to the top, until the current leaders, Cerro Porteño from Paraguay and Gremio from Brazil, face each other on May 1.