Goalkeeper Agustín Rossi made a series of decisive saves to secure a 0-0 draw for Flamengo against Estudiantes de La Plata in the first leg of the 2026 Copa Libertadores semifinals. Played on Thursday (15) at the Jorge Luis Hirschi Stadium, widely known as Estadio UNO, in La Plata, Argentina, the scoreless opener kept the Brazilian club undefeated in the continental tournament. Under head coach Leonardo Jardim, the visiting side has now gone 11 consecutive matches without a loss in the competition, recording seven victories and four draws.
Guided by head coach Alexander Medina, the Argentine host returned to a Copa Libertadores semifinal for the first time in 17 years, having last reached this stage of South America’s premier club tournament in 2009. The home team dictated the attacking pace throughout the night in front of its supporters, but repeatedly ran into Flamengo’s goalkeeper. Rossi turned away multiple headers from forward and team captain Guido Carrillo, alongside a driven cross-shot from attacking midfielder Tiago Palacios.
The stalemate in La Plata marked the 13th official meeting in history between the two South American clubs. Across those matchups, Flamengo holds the historical advantage with five wins, compared to two victories for Estudiantes de La Plata and six draws, with the Brazilian team outscoring the Argentine side 13 goals to eight prior to Thursday’s kickoff.
Key saves by Agustín Rossi and refereeing disputes in La Plata
Physical marking and heavy challenges set the tone during the opening half, sparking frequent complaints from players and analysts toward Paraguayan referee Juan Gabriel Benítez. A flashpoint occurred in the 28th minute of the first half when Estudiantes midfielder Alexis Castro pulled down Flamengo midfielder Lucas Paquetá, and the official opted not to issue a yellow card. Journalist and broadcast commentator Paulo Calçade criticized the decision live on air during the match transmission. “It is a disgrace for the referee to see a pull like that and not give a yellow card. This is disgraceful,” stated Paulo Calçade.
Both goalkeepers and defensive lines were tested from the opening whistle, though the workload fell heavily on the visitors’ penalty area across both halves. Below is the chronological log of the main attempts, substitutions, and disciplinary cards recorded at Estadio UNO:
- 3rd minute (1st half): Tiago Palacios struck a right-footed shot from the center of the box, forcing Agustín Rossi to make a save in the bottom left corner.
- 8th minute (1st half): Forward Bruno Henrique connected with a header from the middle of the penalty area off an assist by midfielder Saúl Ñíguez, sending the ball wide of the target.
- 19th minute (1st half): Defender Santiago Núñez directed a header straight toward the middle of the goal, where Rossi positioned himself to make the stop.
- 28th minute (1st half): Tiago Palacios fired with his right foot and Guido Carrillo followed up with a header inside the six-yard box, with both attempts missing the frame.
- 35th minute (1st half): Referee Juan Gabriel Benítez showed a yellow card to Alexis Castro of Estudiantes for a foul on Lucas Paquetá.
- 39th minute (1st half): Santiago Núñez rose for another header following a cross delivered by Joaquín Tobio Burgos, resulting in another save by Rossi.
- 43rd minute (1st half): Estudiantes midfielder Ezequiel Piovi received a yellow card after fouling Jorge Carrascal.
- 45th minute (1st half): Guido Carrillo aimed a header toward the center of the net, and Rossi held onto the ball cleanly before halftime.
- 18th minute of the 2nd half (63′): Flamengo midfielder Lucas Paquetá was booked with a yellow card following a foul committed against Ezequiel Piovi.
- 23rd minute of the 2nd half (68′): Alexander Medina made the first substitution for Estudiantes, bringing on forward Joaquín Correa to replace Tiago Palacios.
- 26th minute of the 2nd half (71′): Flamengo’s Jorge Carrascal received a yellow card for bringing down substitute Joaquín Correa.
- 27th minute of the 2nd half (72′): Midfielder Baltasar Rodríguez unleashed a long-range strike from outside the penalty box that Rossi parried away on the left side.
- 35th minute of the 2nd half (80′): Leonardo Jardim executed a double substitution for Flamengo, sending forwards Pedro Guilherme and Gonzalo Plata onto the pitch in place of Bruno Henrique and Samuel Lino.
- 38th minute of the 2nd half (83′): Substitute Edwuin Cetré received a pass from Guido Carrillo and shot from the left side of the box, prompting one last save from Rossi.
- 41st minute of the 2nd half (86′): Flamengo right-back Guillermo Varela was shown a yellow card while sitting on the substitutes’ bench.
Medical absences, suspensions, and official lineups at Estadio UNO
Both coaching staffs had to reshape their starting elevens in Argentina due to a combination of medical issues, administrative rulings, and disciplinary suspensions. Leonardo Jardim traveled without five first-team players from the Flamengo roster. Midfielder Giorgian de Arrascaeta remained sidelined recovering from a fracture in his left wrist, while defender Danilo missed out while undergoing treatment for two fractures in his jaw.
Midfielder Jorginho was unavailable to play in La Plata as he served an automatic suspension following a red card in the quarterfinals. In addition, left-back Ayrton Lucas and midfielder Evertton Araújo, despite recovering from previous injuries, stayed out of the matchday squad while completing physical transition drills on the pitch under the supervision of the club’s fitness staff.
On the Argentine side, Alexander Medina lost three defensive options for the opening leg. Veteran center-back Marcos Rojo was ruled out after the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), the governing body of continental soccer, did not authorize his player registration for this stage. Furthermore, defenders Leandro González Pírez and Tomás Palacios were both suspended and could not take the field.
- Estudiantes de La Plata lineup: Fernando Muslera; Eros Mancuso, Santiago Núñez, Ramiro Funes Mori, and Gastón Benedetti; Baltasar Rodríguez (replaced by Miguel Monsalve), Ezequiel Piovi, and Alexis Castro; Tiago Palacios (replaced by Joaquín Correa), Guido Carrillo, and Joaquín Tobio Burgos (replaced by Edwuin Cetré). Head coach: Alexander Medina.
- Flamengo lineup: Agustín Rossi; Emerson Royal, Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira, and Alex Sandro; Erick Pulgar and Saúl Ñíguez; Jorge Carrascal, Lucas Paquetá (replaced by Joaquín Freitas), and Samuel Lino (replaced by Gonzalo Plata); Bruno Henrique (replaced by Pedro Guilherme). Head coach: Leonardo Jardim.
- Match officials: Referee Juan Gabriel Benítez (Paraguay), assisted by linesmen Eduardo Cardozo and Milciades Saldívar, with Ulises Mereles in charge of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) booth.
Group A rematches, domestic standings, and second-leg schedule
Flamengo enters the decisive stretch of the season as the reigning Copa Libertadores champion, having defeated Palmeiras in the 2025 final, and currently sits atop the 2026 Campeonato Brasileiro, Brazil’s top-flight national league, with 64 points—one point ahead of second-place Palmeiras and 11 clear of Athletico-PR. Meanwhile, in the Clausura tournament of the Argentine Championship, Estudiantes de La Plata occupies ninth place with 14 points, tied with San Lorenzo and trailing Newell’s Old Boys by three points.
The semifinal clash in La Plata served as a rematch from earlier in the 2026 tournament, as both clubs were drawn into Group A during the group stage. Flamengo finished first in that group with 16 points after beating Estudiantes at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro and drawing 1-1 in Argentina, while Estudiantes advanced in second place with nine points, ahead of Independiente Medellín (seven points) and Cusco (one point). The two sides also met twice during Flamengo’s 2025 title campaign, facing off in the group stage and again in the quarterfinals, where the Brazilian club advanced via a penalty shootout. To reach the 2026 semifinals, Flamengo eliminated Ecuador’s Independiente del Valle 3-1 on aggregate, whereas Estudiantes knocked out Corinthians with a 1-0 victory in São Paulo courtesy of a goal by Alexis Castro.
In the opposite bracket of the 2026 Copa Libertadores semifinals, Palmeiras defeated Fluminense 2-1 on Wednesday (14) at the Maracanã Stadium. Forward Flaco López and midfielder Marlon Freitas scored the goals for the São Paulo club, while Wesley Natã found the net for the Rio de Janeiro side. Palmeiras and Fluminense will play their return leg on Wednesday (21) at 9:30 p.m. Brasília time (BRT) in São Paulo. Twenty-four hours later, on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at 9:30 p.m. BRT, Flamengo and Estudiantes de La Plata will meet at the Maracanã Stadium to decide the second spot in the continental final.
