Atlético Nacional faces Deportivo Pereira this Thursday as a visitor. The match will take place at the Hernán Ramírez Villegas stadium and is part of the first leg of the Copa Colombia semifinals. The game will be at 8 PM.
The Verdolaga team comes into this match after suffering two consecutive defeats in the Torneo Finalización of the Colombian League against Unión Magdalena and Independiente Medellín.
Nacional reached this stage of the tournament after defeating Águilas Doradas in the quarterfinals, winning 3-0 as visitors and 2-1 at the Atanasio Girardot stadium.
Nacional's last defeat was on November 24, 2021, with a 1-0 score in the second leg of the Copa Colombia final, the year in which the Paisa team won the tournament.
For this match, coach Jhon Jairo Bodmer called up 20 players, including experienced players Dorlan Pabón, Jefferson Duque, and young players Óscar Perea and Juan Pablo Torres.
In addition, midfielder Nelson Deossa returns, who had missed the last matches in the Colombian League due to a lateral ankle sprain suffered against Unión Magdalena.
On the other hand, several players will be absent for this match, including Andrés Salazar, Neyder Moreno, Andrés Felipe Román, and Álvaro Angulo, who are in the medical department.
"I feel comfortable doing what the institution requires. We want to win on Thursday and bring a score that gives us peace of mind for the second leg," said the coach in the press conference.
He also added, "the institution is committed to very clear things. It is key to quickly adjust the balance that the team must have regardless of the style of play. Proposing does not diminish the responsibility of taking precautions."
Finally, the coach gave some details about the style he intends to implement at Atlético Nacional.
"I like to see how we take the opponent to their own area. The issue is the awareness and the level of attention to execute the pressure after losing the ball. The way we play will bring us closer to victory," he said.
Meanwhile, Deportivo Pereira has gone four matches without losing, with a record of three wins and one draw. In the last weekend, they defeated La Equidad 1-0 in the 17th round of the 2023-II Colombian League.