Universidad de Chile refuses to give up: Arce vows to attack the Superclasico to close the gap on Colo Colo

Ten points. That is the gap separating Universidad de Chile from Colo Colo in the standings, and it is exactly the number the U wants to start chipping away at this Sunday at the Estadio Nacional. The Superclasico arrives at an odd moment: the Cacique holds a comfortable lead, but the Blues come in with spirits high after a run of good results that has brought back the dream.

Speaking in that confident mood was Agustin Arce, the midfielder who has earned his place in the Chilean club's midfield through strong performances. The player made no secret of his excitement ahead of the clash with the Whites and made clear that inside the locker room, the title dream never faded, no matter what the points gap says.

"I think we've had that confidence for a long time now, and honestly I believe we're going to handle this match very well to keep that streak going," Arce said in an interview with TNT Sports.

The midfielder went further and zeroed in on what really matters this weekend: picking up all three points to shrink the gap. No grand speeches, no looking at the full standings, just focusing on the next opponent, which this time has a name: Colo Colo.

"I think we need to keep cutting the distance, like I said this is just one more game. If we win, that's three points added, and that's what we're going out to get," the midfielder added.

Faith that never faded

What stands out in Arce's comments is that he isn't talking about a newfound confidence born from the recent good run. According to the player himself, that conviction goes back much further, to when the season was just getting underway and the U had yet to show the form it is now displaying in the closing stretch of the tournament.

"Yes, always, since the start of the season, since midyear. We've always felt and believed that we can become champions"Agustin Arce

Beating Colo Colo on its own footballing turf, the Nacional, is no easy task for anyone, let alone a team arriving ten points behind in the standings. But Chilean soccer has a way of making these classics play out apart from any table. The U needs the win not just for the three points, but also for the psychological boost that closing the gap on their historic rival would provide.

With Arce as one of the pieces that has brought consistency to the Blues' midfield in recent weeks, Universidad de Chile heads into the Superclasico with the argument that matters most in games like this: the confidence of feeling ready to compete, even if the standings say they are the ones chasing in the title race.