Universidad de Chile visits La Serena looking to confirm its turnaround

Winning a game after several bitter weeks changes the mood of any squad. That's what happened to Universidad de Chile, which with its win over Coquimbo Unido got to feel again what it's like to celebrate in the Campeonato Nacional. Now the challenge is not to settle for the glow of a single result: this Sunday the team visits Deportes La Serena at Estadio La Portada and needs to confirm that victory wasn't a mirage.

The task won't be easy. The northern side arrives on the back of two straight wins and with a name that stings for the blue faithful: Angelo Henriquez, the former U. de Chile forward who now wears La Serena's jersey and is eager to keep adding good memories from the other side.

Henriquez held nothing back when discussing what's ahead. He knows that facing his former club always carries an extra edge, beyond the points at stake.

You have to bring the most energy, the most aggressiveness and the right attitude in every match. It's a great game for a lot of reasons. Playing this kind of match gives you more visibility, a lot more people watch these games, there will be more fans in the stadium and more eyes on TV. For everyone it's huge motivation.Angelo Henriquez

The forward was also clear about his team's current form. La Serena is no longer fighting for a spot in international competitions, but that doesn't mean easing up: on the contrary, every point left on the table matters for the overall standings and for closing out the year in the best possible way.

Right now we're fighting for something else. I feel like we can't really get back into the race to qualify for a continental cup anymore, so that's the focus. We have to pick up points in as many matches as we can.Angelo Henriquez

And as if the temperature of the match needed to rise any further, Henriquez himself put it bluntly: they have to face it "like a war, with the desperation to win." Words that hint at a tight, physical match, the kind that gets decided by small details.

The view from the blue side

On Universidad de Chile's side, midfielder Gonzalo Escalante also addressed the challenge awaiting at La Portada. For the midfielder, the team's recent good form is a source of confidence, though he's not losing sight of how tough the opponent will be.

It's always nice to face teams like this. It's going to be a very tough match, like always. We already played them this year, but I think we're on a good run and we feel ready to take them on.Gonzalo Escalante

The match promises to be a good gauge of whether that win over Coquimbo Unido was truly a turning point for the blues or just a pause within an uneven season. La Serena, riding the momentum of its recent results and with Henriquez fired up to face his former team, isn't going to make it easy for anyone.