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00:00So we are almost ready to go then, because we already know Botafogo from pot 1 are in
00:16group A, so the first name out drawn by Felipe Melo will be into pot group B, and it will
00:24be River Plate of Argentina, the four times Libertadores champions, semi-finalists last
00:31year when they lost to Atlético Mineiro, Marcelo Pejado, the most decorated manager in the
00:37club's history, back in charge, looking to go better than last year.
00:43Next name out, Flamengo, into group C, Flamengo one of the dominant sides in Libertadores
00:50in recent years, three times champions, most recently 2019 and 2022, but runners-up in
00:562021, and in recent years have been one of the teams to watch in the competition.
01:03São Paulo, first into group D, three-time Libertadores champions themselves, lost in
01:12the quarter-finals last year against eventual winners Botafogo.
01:20Into group E, it's going to be Racing, the Sudamericana champions, Gustavo Costas and
01:28Diego Melito watching on, and their team first into group E, just the one Libertadores title
01:36that Racing have won back in 1967.
01:40Group F, we'll see Nacional of Uruguay, El Bolso, another three-time winner of the Libertadores,
01:47last time back in 1988, did reach the knockout stage last year though, they lost to São Paulo
01:52in the round of 16.
01:59Group G will be Palmeiras, another of the dominant sides in recent years, Felipe Melo,
02:05a part of the team that won in 2020 and 2021, 20 years since the team had last won back-to-back
02:12Libertadores titles, Palmeiras are the team to do it.
02:15Another finalists last year, semi-finalists in the two years before that, expect Palmeiras
02:20to go deep once again.
02:22And lastly, Peñarol into group H, so we move to pot two.
02:34And the first name out is Estudiantes de la Plata, it's another former champion, four-times
02:41champions of the Libertadores Estudiantes, glorious era in the 60s, 70s, but last time
02:47winning it back in 2009, back in the tournament and joining holders Botafogo in group A.
02:56Joining River Plate in group B is Independiente del Valle from Ecuador, were runners-up in
03:03the Libertadores back in 2016 and that really set in motion a glorious period, they've won
03:07the Sudamericana twice since then, went out of the group phase last year and will be hoping
03:12to do better this time round.
03:15Another Ecuadorian side, next out of the hat is Liga de Quito, who will join Flamengo in
03:20group C. They've also won the Libertadores back in 2008 and twice the Sudamericana, most
03:28recently in 2023.
03:32Libertad of Paraguay will join Sao Paulo in group D. The 24th appearance in the Libertadores
03:40twice reaching the semi-finals, were third in their group last year, however, behind
03:46River Plate and Nacional.
03:50Colo-Colo of Chile will join Racing in group E, reached the quarter-finals last year before
03:58losing narrowly to River Plate, but manager Jorge Alvaron right there, has twice gone
04:03to the final with Boca in 2023 and with Lanus back in 2017.
04:08Colo-Colo a former champion themselves back in 1991.
04:12Internacional of Brazil into group F with Nacional, El Colorado two-time Libertadores
04:23champion in 2006 and 2010.
04:29Joining Palmeiras in group G will be Bolívar, an away trip that no one would enjoy in the
04:36altitude.
04:3739th Libertadores appearance, twice semi-finalists, most recently back in 2014, but a very, very
04:45tricky away trip.
04:49And lastly, alongside Peñarol will be Olimpia of Paraguay, and one of Pataglia's former
04:58teammates, Matin Palermo, in charge of Olimpia.
05:03We move to pot three, Universidad de Chile into pot A alongside Botafogo and Estudiantes.
05:16And the Sudamericana back in 2011, La U, as we already saw, one of their former champions,
05:27Universitario of Peru, into group B with River Plate and Independiente del Valle, qualified
05:36as champions in Peru, and they make their 35th Libertadores appearance this year.
05:46Deportivo Tachira of Venezuela, next out, having won the Primera in Venezuela, beating
05:53Carabobo on penalties in December, the team from Venezuela that have appeared the most
05:59in the Libertadores at the bottom of their group last time, Tachira joined Liga de Quito
06:03and Flamengo in group C.
06:06Tajeres of Argentina into group D with Sao Paulo and Libertad, Matei celebrating victory
06:18over River Plate just a couple of weeks ago in the Supercopa Internacional in Argentina,
06:23lost to River Plate in last year's tournament.
06:26Fortaleza of Brazil go into group E with Racing and Colo-Colo, the Tricolor were runners
06:38up in the Sudamericana in 2023, and this is just their third appearance in the Libertadores.
06:44Atletico Nacional, another former champion from Colombia, into group F with Nacional
06:51and Internacional, Internacional and Atletico Nacional in group F. Sporting Cristal of
07:03Peru join Palmeiras and Bolívar in group G. 40th appearance in the Libertadores for
07:16Sporting Cristal.
07:18And lastly, Velasas Fields of Argentina into group H with Penarol and Olimpia, were a standout
07:26team in Argentina last year, winning the Primera Title, won the competition in 1994 and then
07:34followed up with the Intercontinental Cup win over ACE in Argentina.
07:40And lastly, from pot four then, first out of pot four, Carabobo of Venezuela, who lost
07:51on penalties to Deportivo Tachira in the final, so runners up in the league to qualify for
07:56this competition and making their fifth Libertadores appearance, their first in the group phase
08:02as they join the rest of the teams in team group A. Barcelona of Ecuador will go into
08:12group B. There is a team from Ecuador, of course, but Barcelona came through the qualifying
08:17rounds having knocked out Corinthians in impressive fashion.
08:23Twice Libertadores runners up, Barcelona completing group B. Central Córdoba, the
08:30Argentinian minnows, winning the Copa Argentina at the end of the year being Velasas 1-0,
08:36making their first appearance in the competition.
08:38They go into group C with Flamengo, Liga de Quito and Deportivo Tachira.
08:49Alianza Lima, another team that came through the qualifying, they beat Boca Juniors in
08:55round two.
08:56Deportivo Tachira in round three and Alianza Lima will go into group D with Sao Paulo,
09:05Libertad and Tajeres.
09:09Four teams remaining then, Atletico Bucaramanga of Colombia, 2024 Apertura champions, their
09:18first ever top-flight title in Colombia, booking their place in the Libertadores and Bucaramanga
09:24into group E with Racing Colo Colo and Fortaleza.
09:34Bahia from Brazil, who beat the strongest in Boston River in qualifying to reach this
09:41point, one of the city group sides, making their fourth appearance in the Libertadores
09:46first since 1989, joining Nacional, Internacional and Atletico Nacional, two Brazilian sides
09:53in group F. An ultimate team-out, Cerro Corteño from Paraguay, who also came through qualifying,
10:01beating Monalgas and Melgar, a 46th appearance, six-time semi-finalists in the Libertadores,
10:11Cerro Corteño joined Palmeiras, Bolívar and Sporting Cristal in group G and the last name
10:19out of the hats from Bolivia will be San Antonio Bulobulo, making their Libertadores debut
10:28this year, after winning their first ever top-flight title in Bolivia, El Santo go into
10:36group H with Peñarol, Olimpia and Vélez Sarsfield.
10:40More than one can breathe.
10:42Did you feel it, Neo?
10:44Olimpia and Cerro Corteño in the group stage.
10:47Well, let's review how this group stage draw went.