Copa Libertadores 2022 Final – Preview

The Copa Libertadores is South American football at its finest. The passion, the graft, the intensity, and cunning nature due to the stakes at play… this is a very charismatic competition and one extremely rich in history in the world of football. So is no surprise that the entire continent is looking forward to the 2022 final, taking place in the Estadio Monumental at Guayaquil, Ecuador, on October 29^th when Flamengo faces off against Athletico Paranaense.

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Both are Brazilian sides, which once again shows the supremacy of that league in recent years in the Libertadores–it is not dissimilar to the rule of the Spaniard sides in European competitions a couple of years ago. But while both sides boast very good players and they both have their own unique set of strengths and weaknesses, it is very easy to see the “David vs. Goliath” comparisons between these two sides.

Flamengo is one of the richest and more star-studded sides in the entirety of the American continent. Along with 2021 champions Palmeiras (who beat Flamengo in last year’s final in dramatic fashion), Flamengo have been one of the dominating teams in the competition in recent years, constantly getting to the latter stages of the tournament and usually reaching the final, with them winning it back in 2019. The term “Galacticos” might be a too far-fetched to describe any South American side, but Flamengo definitely fits the bill when you consider the talent at their disposal.

Results have also been quite positive for Flamengo. After qualifying with ease from their group, they defeated Colombian club Deportes Tolima (particularly impressive was their 7-1 victory over them at home soil) in the round of 16, casting Corinthians aside in the quarterfinals and then ending the semifinals quickly by defeating Argentinian side Velez Sarsfield by a 4-0 score in the first leg. All of these results have shown the level of quality that Flamengo have, but also their know-how of the competition since the core of this squad has gathered a lot of Copa Libertadores experience and they know how to perform in competitions and moments of this nature.

Their striker Pedro has been the competition’s top goalscorer with 12 non-penalty goals, but is also very important to highlight the rich squad they have at their disposal and how that plays a role in their success: a team featuring the likes of Arturo Vidal (former Juventus, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Inter Milan), Filipe Luis (former Chelsea and Atletico Madrid), Everton, Gabriel “Gabigol” Barbosa (one of the best players in America in recent years) or even David Luiz (former Chelsea, Arsenal, and PSG) is bound to have a lot of experience and talent to overcome difficult challenges and that Flamengo has done in this edition.

Flamengo are definitely the favorites of the competition, but this is not to say that Athletico Paranaense are not without their arguments to ruin their rival’s party and achievement a massive upset in the competition. Led by one of the most important managers in the history of Brazilian football, former national head coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, Paranaense have become a major competitor in the Copa Libertadores and a very strong collective that managed to overcome a lot of odds to finally have the chance of facing Flamengo at Ecuador.

After a complex group stage where they ended up in second place, they faced Paraguay’s Libertad (who, funny enough, already played against in the round of 16), then they beat Argentinian side Estudiantes de la Plata in the quarterfinals by a global score of 1-0, which was one of the toughest tests for Paranaense, and the biggest ordeal was overcoming current champions Palmeiras by first winning the home leg by a 1-0 score and then a massive comeback in the opposition’s pitch by leveling a 2-0 deficit and getting the tickets for the final in Ecuador.

It’s the club’s second final in their history, having lost against fellow Brazilian side Sao Paulo back in 2005, and is manager Scolari’s third final and is worth pointing out that he did this with three different sides from Brazil: 1995 with Gremio and 1999 with Palmeiras. He won the Libertadores in both of those occasions and he hopes to cap this run with a third medal, especially when you consider that he already said that he is retiring after this final, so there is a special ingredient to this final.

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So, who has the edge in this final and who is the favorite? By all accounts, Flamengo has to be viewed as the favorites in this final. They are the most experienced side and have a bigger squad depth, which has allowed them to keep themselves fresh during large portions of the competition, which is a luxury that perhaps Paranaense doesn’t have (although they still have a very good squad). Plus, players such as Pedro and Gabigol are so talented that they can make a major difference in the game even if Flamengo are not playing particularly well, which is something that is always key in finals.

Having said that, Paranaense have made a knack of getting surprise results, especially when you consider what they did to Palmeiras in the semifinals. So the worst thing that can happen to Flamengo is to think that they have this competition in the bag when they are facing a very classic Scolari side: compact, great teamwork and capable of punching above their weight. Sides like this can always make a great impact if things are done properly and that Scolari has accomplished with this group of players.

Overall, this is another testament of the dominance of Brazilian football in South American these days and how teams such as Flamengo, Palmeiras and now Paranaense have gathered the resources to cement themselves as the new elite of South American football. Let’s hope that the final lives up to our increasing expectations and that the champion can be a good representative of the passion and charisma of South American football.