Estudiantes de La Plata knocked Flamengo out of the Copa Libertadores on penalties at the Maracanã on Thursday night (22) and will face Palmeiras in the 2026 final, set for November 28 at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo.
Two matches, no goals
The semi-final's 180 minutes produced nothing. The first leg, at the Estadio Jorge Luis Hirschi in La Plata, ended 0-0, and the return in Rio de Janeiro repeated the scoreline.
Flamengo dominated possession — close to 70% — and played with an extra man for almost the whole second half: five minutes after the restart, Argentina's Baltasar Rodríguez picked up a second yellow card for a foul on Samuel Lino and was sent off. The numerical advantage never became a goal.
Three saves by Muslera
In the shootout, Uruguayan goalkeeper Fernando Muslera stopped three Brazilian kicks: those of Jorginho, Lucas Paquetá and Bruno Henrique. Flamengo scored through Arrascaeta and Léo Pereira.
Estudiantes converted three of four attempts, missing only with Cetré, whose first kick the referee ordered retaken. Final shootout score: 3-2 to the Argentines.
Palmeiras got there a day earlier, also on penalties
The other semi-final was settled the same way. On Wednesday (21), Palmeiras lost 1-0 at home to Fluminense, Hércules scoring in the second half, but they had won the first leg 2-1. With the tie level at 2-2, the place went to penalties, and the São Paulo side won 5-3 — Nonato missed Fluminense's fourth kick.
It is the club's eighth Libertadores final.
What is at stake on November 28
Palmeiras won the continental title in 1999, 2020 and 2021 and are chasing a fourth. Estudiantes have four — 1968, 1969, 1970 and 2009 — and return to a final 17 years after the last one.
The final is a single match at the Centenario, and the kick-off time has yet to be set by Conmebol. According to CNN Brasil, the champion receives US$25 million (about R$125 million) and the runner-up US$7 million.
One note on how the two semi-finals went: in none of the four matches did a team win by more than a single goal, and both places were decided on penalties. Flamengo leave the competition without having lost either semi-final match in normal time.
With information from Gazeta Esportiva, No Ataque, CNN Brasil, Folha Vitória and Jornal Grande Bahia.
