Copa Libertadores 2026 Quarter-Finals: Palmeiras take advantage, Estudiantes and Corinthians play out draw
Copa Libertadores 2026 quarter-finals see four Brazilian teams involved, and it won’t be a surprise to see any one of them lift the trophy. Clubs from Brazil have dominated the competition in recent memory, with Argentina giants River Plate the last non-Brazilian side to win the Libertadores in 2018.
Fluminense beat Atletico Platense by two goals to nil in the first leg of their tie, and two more quarter-final matches were played out on September 9. Palmeiras took on Ecuador’s LDU de Quito, and Estudiantes hosted Corinthians.
Palmeiras 1-0 LDU de Quito
Palmeiras will take one-goal advantage in the second leg of their quarter-final tie against LDU de Quito. This was after Agustín Giay’s header proved to be the difference between the two sides in São Paulo.
The home team started in dominant fashion and threatened de Quito’s goal in the seventh minute. José Manuel López played Jhon Arias through, and his powerful strike was pushed away for a corner by Gonzalo Valle. Palmeiras kept probing and the pressure paid off in the 26th minute.
A long ball forward saw de Quito unable to clear their lines. Vitor Roque took advantage to unleash a strike that was pushed away by Valle but only as far as Giay, who arrived to score from a diving header.
Not satisfied with their lead, the Alviverde continued to search for a second goal. Giay had the chance to grab a brace but failed to connect with a cross from Joaquin Piquerez. Following the interval, Abel Ferreira’s side saw more chances come their way.
However, a mix of poor shot selection and some stout defending kept the scoreline at 1-0. Los Reyes then had a golden chance to level the tie in the 68th minute. Alexander Alvarado played an aerial ball across the face of the goal past advancing Carlos Miguel, and José Carabalí looked set to bundle home.
But the man of the moment, Agustín Giay, made his presence felt once again. The Argentine full-back got there in the nick of time and did enough to deflect the ball out of play. Meanwhile, the frustration kept growing for Palmeiras. Jhon Arias skipped past the defence, but saw a diving Gian Allala block his his goal-bound shot in the 81st minute.
Despite the win, Palmeiras will feel they have left the door open for a LDU de Quito comeback in the second leg. They will hope that their lack of a cutting edge doesn’t come back to haunt them when they visit Ecuador next week.
Estudiantes 1-1 Corinthians
Estudiantes and Corinthians played out a draw in the first leg of their quarter-final in La Plata. Both sides threatened to take an advantage ahead of the second leg but ultimately had to settle for a draw.
The Pincha gave the home fans a dream start after Guido Carrillo’s header from a corner was parried away by Hugo Souza, only for Alexis Castro to finish home. Estudiantes looked sharper, and Castro had the chance to double their lead, but was denied by Souza. Corinthians eventually grew in the game, but only had two long-distance shots to show for their efforts.
But Timão made a much better start in the second half. In the 49th minute, Rodrigo Garro played a slick through ball for 22-year-old Kaio César, who kept his cool to slot into the far corner and bring his side level.
The game then became cagey with chances few and far between. Estudiantes saw slightly more of the ball, but didn’t trouble Fernando Diniz’s side much. Guido Carrillo, the club’s all-time leading scorer in Libertadores, shot a volley over the bar and then saw his tame effort saved comfortably by Souza.
Souza would prove to be the hero in stoppage time as he denied Alfredo Grelak’s men a sure-fire winner. Joaquin Correa headed sharply from Edwuin Cetre’s cross, only for the Brazilian keeper to make a sensational diving save. It ensured that both teams leave Ciudad de Caseros on level terms and have everything to play for at the Neo Química Arena next Wednesday.
