Universitario de Deportes visited Deportes Tolima on Tuesday, April 7, in the first date of Group B in the Copa Libertadores 2026, with kickoff set for 21:00 in Peru and Colombia at the Manuel Murillo Toro stadium in Ibagué. The match was scheduled for 22:00 in Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia and Miami, 23:00 in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, and 20:00 in Mexico, with international coverage on and Disney+ and live coverage in Latin America on, Disney+ and Pluto TV.
Javier Rabanal sent his best players for the trip to Colombia, while also including juveniles in the expedition for the continental debut. Universitario arrived after beating Alianza Lima in the classic, a result that gave the squad a sharper edge before its opening game in Group B. The lineup featured Miguel Vargas; Andy Polo, Caín Fara, Anderson Santamaría, Matías Di Benedetto and César Inga; Jesús Castillo, Martín Pérez Guedes and Jairo Concha; and Lisandro Alzugaray with Alex Valera up front.
Tolima also came in with momentum of its own, even if it had failed to beat Independiente Santa Fe in its last Liga BetPlay appearance. The Colombian side was described as strong, combative and courageous at the Murillo Toro, and it entered the match in third place in the league standings behind Deportivo Pasto and Atlético Nacional. Neto Volpi started for Tolima behind Jherson Mosquera, Jan Angulo, Daniel Pedrozo and Junior Hernández; Sebastián Guzmán, Brayan Rovira and Juan Pablo Torres formed the midfield; and Ever Valencia, Adrián Parra and Luis Sandoval led the attack.
That mix of urgency and restraint made the opener more than a simple first-round visit. For Universitario, the trip was the start of its group-stage campaign in the Copa Libertadores 2026, and the decision to bring juveniles along alongside the senior core suggested a squad trying to protect its depth without lowering its ambitions. Tolima, meanwhile, had the home edge, the league form and the reputation to make Murillo Toro a difficult place to begin.
The first night of Group B therefore carried a clear test for both teams: whether Universitario could turn a derby win into continental momentum, and whether Tolima could turn its home strength into an immediate advantage in the tournament.
