Preparing for another big challenge in the Conmebol South American, Flamengo will face a tough opponent. Coming from Colombia, Junior Barranquilla arrived in Rio de Janeiro this Tuesday (21) already aiming for the match on Thursday, at 21:45 pm, against Mais Querido. The duel, which is scheduled for Maracanã, is valid for the semifinal stage of the competition.

Junior de Barranquilla was founded in 1924 and is the third-oldest club in Colombia, ranking among the country's most traditional teams. Home to players like Carlos Valderrama, who led one of the national team's best campaigns in 1990, Junior has won seven national titles.

The team is located in Barranquilla, in the north of the country. The city has about two million inhabitants and is one of the most populous in the country. The location is at sea level. 

Located in a city that breathes football, Barranquilla had a challenging campaign in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana. Beginning the tournament in the second round, the team faced fellow Colombian side Deportivo Cali, winning 3-2 on penalties at home after two 1-1 draws. In the round of 0, they eliminated Cerro Porteño, drawing 0-3 away and winning 1-XNUMX at the Roberto Meléndez Metropolitan Stadium.

In the quarterfinals, the Colombian went to Recife and beat Brazilian Sport 2-0. In Colombia, the score remained 0-0. With that, Junior Barranquilla's path crossed with Flamengo's.

Overall, the team has two wins, four draws, and no losses. They scored seven goals and conceded three.

Junior Barranquilla has six games against Brazilian teams in the Conmebol Sudamericana, namely against Internacional in 2004 (one loss and one draw), Chapecoense in 2016 (one win and one loss) and Sport this year (one win and one draw).

In three previous appearances in the competition, the Colombian team was eliminated by Brazilians twice. The first time was in the quarterfinals against Internacional in 2004, and then against Chapecoense in the same round in 2016.

The team's top scorers in the CONMEBOL South American Championship are Yimmi Chará and Yony González, both with two goals. Ovelar, Luis Díaz, and Téo Gutiérrez also scored one goal each.

Sebastián Vieira is the Colombian team's captain and goalkeeper, a key player. Another notable player is striker Téo Gutiérrez, a key member of the national team and known for his time in other countries such as Turkey and Portugal. Yimmi Chará is Barranquilla's top scorer and was the most expensive signing in the national league.

Junior's starting defender Jonathan Ávila fractured the fifth metatarsal in his left foot and will not be available for the match. Jefferson Gómez and Deivy Balanta, also defenders, are injured.

The club is currently qualified for the quarterfinals of the Colombian Championship and will face América de Cali on November 27th. Junior led the competition in its first phase and is coached by Uruguayan Julio Comesaña. On November 8th, the club won the Copa Águila by defeating Independiente Medellín 2-0 in the final, securing a spot in the 2018 CONMEBOL Libertadores.

Adding up all the competitions played in 2017, Junior has 62 matches, 31 wins, 15 draws and 16 losses, in addition to 85 goals scored and 51 conceded.

The first meeting between the teams was on March 29, 1984, when Flamengo traveled to the Romelio Martínez Stadium in Colombia to face Junior in the first round of the Copa Libertadores da América. With goals from Edmar and Tita, Flamengo emerged victorious 2-1.

At Maracanã, on May 10, 1984, Rubro-Negro stood out again and, with three goals from Edmar, won 3-1 in the first phase of the Copa Libertadores.