The leaders of the Chilean and the Colombian league meet in this first leg of the 2nd stage of Copa Sudamericana after an almost 8 months hiatus and even though Deportes Tolima is a solid and serious team that lost last weekend their first game of the season at home vs La Equidad in the last minute, I can’t see them as slight favourites in their visit to the red hot Union La Calera that won 5 games in a row, 4 of them without even conceding a goal and scoring 13, and in the previous stage of this competition, they eliminated Brazilian giants Fluminense.
Both will have missings, the hosts might not have striker Andres Vilches who got injured training with the Chilean national team (but they will have Nicolas Stefanelli who has been important for them in an attack), and Deportes Tolima goes to Chile without experienced defender Julian Quiñones.
Looks like a tight game between two teams in good form, but I have to go with the hosts that haven’t lost a game at home since September 2019.