Flamengo will face two Chilean opponents in its Copa Santander Libertadores group. In addition to Universidad de Chile, the team determined in the draw held by CONMEBOL in December, another Santiago club will be the red-and-black rival in its quest for a second championship: Universidad Católica (UC). Chile's Católica secured its spot in Group 8, the same as Flamengo, by eliminating Argentine team Colón at home on Tuesday night.

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Therefore, there's no better place to analyze Flamengo's squad than a Chilean. This is Maldonado, an experienced midfielder who knows everything about his country's football and is trying to recover in time to help the Red-Blacks in the Copa Libertadores. According to the Red-Blacks' number 10, both "La U" and "UC" will be tough opponents to beat.

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"They are two very well-structured teams that have grown significantly in recent years, strengthened with players from the national team, and are very traditional teams in Chile. Universidad Católica has evolved significantly, and Universidad de Chile is also very strong. Without a doubt, the games will be very difficult, as matches against South American teams always are, especially in the Libertadores," explained Maldonado.

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Both of Flamengo's opponents have prepared strongly for the national and international season. "La U" has the advantage due to its multi-million dollar investments in reinforcements in the domestic market. Among its standouts are Puch, Vargas, and Rivarola. Católica won the qualifying round in the last championship and boasts Ponce, Mirosevic, and Damián Diaz as its key players. These are two of Chile's biggest clubs and have high expectations of advancing to the next stage.

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It's also worth checking out the analysis by Chilean journalist Alejandro Saavedra on his blog Red-Black Polaroids, in an interview with Juan Saavedra, content manager for Flamengo's official website. In the chat, Alejandro talks about the two teams and also about Flamengo's perception of Chile. Also learn about Flamengo's record against Universidad Católica e University of Chile on Flapedia.