Copa Libertadores 2018 Group Stage (Junior FC)
📌 Junior de Barranquilla was placed in Group H alongside Boca Juniors, Alianza Lima, and Palmeiras.
😥 Junior started poorly with a painful 3-0 home defeat to Palmeiras followed by a 1-0 loss to Boca Juniors in Buenos Aires.
✅ Junior secured crucial wins against Alianza Lima, 2-0 away and 1-0 at home, keeping qualification hopes alive briefly.
❌ The team finished third in the group after losing the final matches, forcing them into the Copa Sudamericana.

Copa Sudamericana 2018 Knockout Stages - Round of 16 & Quarterfinals
⚔️ In the Round of 16, Junior defeated Lanús on penalties (3-2) after both legs ended in 1-1 draws.
🔥 The Quarterfinals pitted Junior against Defensa y Justicia; Junior won the first leg 2-0 at home (goals by Luis Díaz and Rafael Pérez).
😰 In the second leg, Defensa y Justicia won 3-1, but Junior advanced to the semifinals on aggregate score (3-3) due to away goals (Luis Díaz scored Junior's goal).

Copa Sudamericana 2018 Semifinals
🇨🇴 Junior faced fellow Colombian team Independiente Santa Fe in the semifinals.
⚽ Téo Gutiérrez scored in the first leg in Bogotá, followed by a spectacular goal from Marlon Piedrahita, securing a 2-0 advantage for the home leg.
🏆 Another goal from Téo Gutiérrez in the return leg cemented the aggregate win, sending Junior to their first international final.

Copa Sudamericana 2018 Final (vs. Athletico Paranaense)
🏟️ The first leg in Barranquilla ended 1-1; Paranaense took the lead via Pablo Felipe, but Jhonny González quickly equalized.
❌ Junior missed a potential lead when Rafael Pérez missed a penalty in the 70th minute, hitting the crossbar.
⚖️ The decisive second leg in Curitiba also ended 1-1 (Téo Gutiérrez scored for Junior), forcing extra time and then penalties.

Key Points & Insights
➡️ The final stages of Junior's run in both the Libertadores and Sudamericana were characterized by tight matches and crucial penalty shootouts.
➡️ In the Sudamericana final, Junior missed two critical penalties in the shootout: Harlan Barrera missed the first attempt (hitting over the bar), and Téo Gutiérrez also missed.
➡️ Gabriel Fuentes hit the post during the penalty shootout, ultimately leading to Atlético Paranaense winning the 2018 Copa Sudamericana.
➡️ Despite reaching the final, Junior was ultimately denied its first international title, remaining without a major international trophy.

📸 Video summarized with SummaryTube.com on Oct 08, 2025, 17:16 UTC