who are the highlights of Caracas, rival in the Libertadores < No Attack

Atlético debuts in the Copa Libertadores this Thursday (4/4), at 7pm, against Caracas, at the Olympic Stadium, in Caracas, Venezuela. Given this, the On Attack He listened to local journalists to find out: who are the highlights of the black and white rival?

Firstly, it is important to understand Caracas’ moment in the season. The team comes from eight games without a win – with four draws and four defeats. The last triumph occurred on February 11, almost two months ago, against Rayo Zuliano.

The negative sequence left the team in 11th place (out of 14 clubs) in the Venezuelan Championship after 10 rounds and caused the board to change the technical command. This Monday, Los Rojos announced the arrival of Henry Meléndez to replace Leonardo González.

Who are the highlights of Caracas?

There was no consensus among the journalists interviewed for the report. Each mentioned different players, but four of them appeared more than once: goalkeeper Fariñez, defender La Mantía, left-back Renné Rivas and striker Ortega.

The team’s top scorers, in turn, are Pernía, with three goals in nine games, and Echenique, with two goals in nine games. The second was even praised by Joabner Quiñones.

See below the analysis of three Venezuelan journalists when asked about the highlights of Caracas.

Alex Carmona, Venezuelan journalist

Wuilker Fariñez is the main reference. He is a goalkeeper who has recently recovered [de uma lesão no joelho esquerdo]and played for Lens, in France.

Anderson Contreras (midfielder) is a skilled player who touches the ball well. Intelligent and shoots well from outside the area.

Francisco La Mantía is a good defender, with good time on the ball and has experience.

Yeison Mena is a fast and powerful center forward, despite not doing very well in the Venezuelan League.

Joabner Quiñones, Venezuelan journalist

Renné Rivas is firm in the 1×1, passes the attack very well and steps into the area to finish.

Bryant Ortega has a good release, generally looking for passes over defenders. He stood out for Venezuela’s under-23s. He has good tackling and always keeps the pressure high.

Ender Echenique is fast, always looking to generate 1v1 to win with his speed. Bold and dribbler. He has provided good assists in the national league.

Jair Pineda, Las Noticias Express

Fariñez has just started playing after completing his recovery. In his two appearances as a starter, he had notable performances, but not so good, due to the team’s irregular situation. However, he is a good blocking player. That’s why he spent a season as a starter in the national team.

Rubert Quijada (defender) is one of Caracas’ longest-serving players. He knew how to deal with pressure from rivals. He has more weight in assists than in goals. He didn’t score many, but a lot of it was started by him.

La Mantia returned to national football this year, after a spell in Europe. Previously he was at Deportivo La Guaira (he was with that team in 2021, when they faced Atlético in the Libertadores). He is good at intercepting the ball and recovering.

Bryant Ortega and Renné Rivas may have seen part of their participation in Venezuela under-23s. They are in training within the club, they contribute in important games. They are capable of generating surprising plays.