Peruvian club Cienciano faces Brazil's Atletico Mineiro at the Arena MRV in Belo Horizonte on Thursday, May 21, 2026, for the fifth round of the Copa Sudamericana Group B.
Head coach Hector Melgarejo aims to secure a victory to keep the Cusco-based team at the top of the standings.
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Group Standings and Stakes
Cienciano currently leads Group B with seven points despite a 3-0 defeat against Puerto Cabello in Venezuela during their previous match.
The Peruvian squad previously defeated Atletico Mineiro 1-0 in their third group fixture.
Atletico Mineiro sits at the bottom of the group with four points and faces potential elimination if they fail to secure a victory on Thursday, provided the simultaneous match between Puerto Cabello and Juventud does not end in a draw.
The Brazilian club needs two consecutive home wins to mathematically guarantee at least a second-place finish and a spot in the playoffs.
Direct qualification to the round of 16 requires a combination of external results.
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Team Confidence and Lineups
Side-back Renan Lodi expressed confidence regarding their qualification chances in the continental tournament.
"Winning both matches, we have every condition to qualify. I am sure we will qualify," Lodi said.
The match is refereed by Carlos Ortega from Colombia, with Carlos Orbe from Ecuador serving as the VAR official.
The concurrent Group B fixture features Puerto Cabello hosting Juventud in Venezuela.
Atletico Mineiro starts Everson, Natanael, Tressoldi, Alonso, Lodi, Maycon, Alexsander, Cuello, Minda, Bernard, and Cassierra under coach Dominguez.
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Cienciano fields Espinoza, Robles, Amondarain, Becerra, Núñez, Caparó, Barreto, Hohberg, Bandiera, Souza, and Garcés.
