{"id":660639,"date":"2025-10-20T09:00:31","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T13:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/?p=660639"},"modified":"2025-10-20T03:41:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T07:41:12","slug":"palmeiras-and-flamengo-take-on-copa-libertadores-semifinals-after-weekend-clash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2025\/10\/20\/palmeiras-and-flamengo-take-on-copa-libertadores-semifinals-after-weekend-clash\/","title":{"rendered":"Palmeiras and Flamengo Take on Copa Libertadores Semifinals After Weekend Clash"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Two of South America\u2019s most storied clubs are one step from glory, while outsiders from Ecuador and Argentina look to crash the all-Brazilian party. The 2025 <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2025\/09\/25\/vitor-roque-and-palmeiras-defeat-river-plate-to-reach-copa-libertadores-semifinals\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Copa Libertadores semifinals<\/a> kick off on Wednesday, with Brazil\u2019s Flamengo hosting Argentina\u2019s Racing Club. On Thursday, Ecuador\u2019s LDU Quito welcomes Brazil\u2019s Palmeiras for the first leg of their tie. The biggest question in South American football right now \u2014 will we get an all-Brazilian final?<\/p>\n<h2>Flamengo Defeats Palmeiras in Weekend Brasileiro Clash<\/h2>\n<p>At the Maracan\u00e3, <a href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/article\/pedro-steps-flamengo-win-draw-210100694.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Flamengo edged Palmeiras<\/a> 3-2 on Sunday, pulling level on points in the Brasileiro after 28 games. Both teams sit four points clear of third-place Cruzeiro, with a game in hand.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FLAMENGO 3 X 2 PALMEIRAS | MELHORES MOMENTOS | BRASILEIR\u00c3O (19\/10\/25)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EgfK3n4doEw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The matchup of Brazilian giants delivered fireworks early, as Flamengo jumped out to a 3-1 first-half lead. Pedro notched a goal and an assist, while Jorginho converted from the spot. Vitor Roque struck for Palmeiras, and Gustavo G\u00f3mez added a late goal in stoppage time, but it wasn\u2019t enough to avoid defeat.<\/p>\n<p>Palmeiras continues to struggle in this head-to-head in recent years, as Argentine goalkeeper Agust\u00edn Rossi produced seven saves to secure the victory for Flamengo. With ten matches remaining in the season, both clubs look set for a thrilling title chase down the stretch.<\/p>\n<h3>LDU Quito Must Capitalize on Home Field to Pull an Upset<\/h3>\n<p>Since their win over S\u00e3o Paulo in the Libertadores quarterfinals, LDU Quito remain unbeaten, highlighted by a commanding 3-0 victory over rivals Barcelona SC on the 17th. LDU took advantage of a second-half red card to score twice with a man advantage.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Liga de Quito 3 - 0 Barcelona SC \/ Fecha 2 - Primer Hexagonal  \/ Liga Ecuabet conectada por Xtrim\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/I5zHTf4tyMA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Chilean midfielder Fernando Cornejo will miss the first leg through suspension, while veteran Argentine Lisandro Alzugaray leads the attack. Bolivian midfielder Gabriel Villamil, just 24, has impressed with six goals and an assist across all competitions.<\/p>\n<p>For heavily favored Palmeiras, key figures include Paraguayan defender Gustavo G\u00f3mez, 20-year-old Roque, and Argentine international striker <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fifa.com\/en\/tournaments\/mens\/worldcup\/canadamexicousa2026\/articles\/flaco-lopez-palmeiras-argentina\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jos\u00e9 \u201cFlaco\u201d L\u00f3pez<\/a>, who has seven goals in this year\u2019s Libertadores. Midfielder Mauricio, 24, has also been influential, providing goal creating creativity and consistency in both tournaments.<\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/2226487734\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 66.66667% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/2226487734?et=ouXyjaAJSNZcouJMJ2xc7g&amp;tld=com&amp;sig=aYMT7-GqTZdeXcxSjeIVkFr4sn1miA9DUdsaXMo1ZsU=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" width=\"594\" height=\"396\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Quito enters as clear underdogs and must secure a positive result at altitude to keep their hopes alive. Palmeiras will look to impose themselves early and take firm control of the tie.<\/p>\n<h3>Racing Club Carries Argentine Hopes<\/h3>\n<p>Traveling to the Maracan\u00e3 is always daunting, and Racing Club arrives under pressure. They were eliminated from the Copa Argentina by River Plate and have gone 2-2-1 since reaching the Libertadores semifinals, though both wins have come in their last two outings.<\/p>\n<p>Currently sixth in Group A of the LFP table, Racing have an even record of wins and losses. Midfielder Santiago Solari remains central to their play, while striker Adri\u00e1n Mart\u00ednez has seven Libertadores goals. Another player to watch is 25-year-old Uruguayan defender Gast\u00f3n Torres.<\/p>\n<p>Flamengo, meanwhile, are 3-1-1 since advancing on penalties past Estudiantes. Their squad is star-studded \u2014 Jorginho, former Atl\u00e9tico Madrid man <a href=\"https:\/\/tribuna.com\/en\/news\/2025-07-25-samuel-lino-joins-flamengo-for-24m-from-atletico\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Samuel Lino<\/a>, and Uruguayan playmaker Giorgian de Arrascaeta, who has contributed two goals and two assists in his last five games. Pedro, 28, leads the line with 12 goals and six assists in domestic play. Heading into this week, an all-Brazilian final appears a strong possibility.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Giorgian De Arrascaeta 2025 \u25cf Flamengo \u25ba Amazing Skills, Goals &amp; Assists | HD\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TBQAumVl5U4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>Previewing the Copa Sudamericana Semifinals<\/h3>\n<p>The Copa Sudamericana semifinals feature Universidad de Chile against Argentina\u2019s Lan\u00fas on Wednesday, while Ecuador\u2019s Independiente del Valle (IDV) host Brazil\u2019s Atl\u00e9tico Mineiro on Tuesday. Three nations \u2014 Argentina, Brazil, and Ecuador \u2014 aim to place a finalist in both of South America\u2019s major competitions in 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Universidad de Chile defeated Palestino in their most recent domestic outing and haven\u2019t lost since falling to Colo Colo in August. Striker Lucas Assadi has five Sudamericana goals, while 36-year-old <a href=\"https:\/\/www.adnradio.cl\/2025\/04\/08\/charles-aranguiz-agiganta-su-leyenda-el-increible-registro-que-ostenta-jugando-con-la-u-en-argentina\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Charles Ar\u00e1nguiz<\/a> continues to provide leadership. The Chilean side will play their home leg without fans against a red-hot Lan\u00fas team unbeaten since September and riding a three-match domestic winning streak. Lan\u00fas leads Group B in Argentina\u2019s LFP, with 35-year-old Eduardo Salvio a key attacking threat. With their current form, Lan\u00fas should be favored to advance.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Lucas Assadi 2025 - Magic Skills, Assists &amp; Goals - Chilean Talent | HD\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Rtx_0JMHGf0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>Veteran Core Drives Independiente del Valle<\/h3>\n<p>Independiente del Valle dominate the Ecuadorian Liga Ecuabet, sitting 15 points clear of LDU Quito with just eight games remaining. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com.ar\/futbol\/ecuador\/nota\/_\/id\/15827324\/claudio-spinelli-anoto-un-golazo-en-el-triunfo-de-independiente-del-valle-ante-orense\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Claudio Spinelli<\/a> and 34-year-old Michael Hoyos each have three Sudamericana goals, while 33-year-old Argentine defender Richard Hern\u00e1n Schunke anchors a disciplined back line. For a club known for youth development, this season\u2019s success has been fueled by experienced veterans.<\/p>\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color: #fff; display: inline-block; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #a7a7a7; font-size: 11px; width: 100%; max-width: 594px;\">\n<div style=\"padding: 0; margin: 0; text-align: left;\"><a style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/2240501951\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; position: relative; height: 0; padding: 66.66667% 0 0 0; width: 100%;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: inline-block; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; margin: 0;\" src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/2240501951?et=gNh1kXQvQH1riqiJEXw3hw&amp;tld=com&amp;sig=PosQcPFZiV9mg-xvOiJ3RwCi1HpapR01BU4pzwU5qxc=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" width=\"594\" height=\"396\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Atl\u00e9tico Mineiro, on the other hand, sit 15th in Brazil\u2019s domestic table, only five points above the relegation zone. The ageless Hulk, 39, remains the star. Ecuadorian midfielder Alan Franco, now with Mineiro, will face his former club IDV. Mineiro are just 2-2-2 since reaching the semifinals, IDV will fancy their chances of returning to another continental final \u2014 though everything remains in play over these two legs. With four nations still in contention across both tournaments, South American football\u2019s depth and drama are once again on full display.<\/p>\n<p>Main Photo Credit: Imago Images Copyright: xThiegoxMattosx<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Two of South America\u2019s most storied clubs are one step from glory, while outsiders from Ecuador and Argentina look to crash the all-Brazilian party. The 2025 Copa Libertadores semifinals kick off on Wednesday, with Brazil\u2019s Flamengo hosting Argentina\u2019s Racing Club. On Thursday, Ecuador\u2019s LDU Quito welcomes Brazil\u2019s Palmeiras for the first leg of their tie. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1442,"featured_media":660640,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,30,9367],"tags":[3100,32639,32574,32640,2949,32607,898,6885,32501],"class_list":["post-660639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-news","category-predictions","tag-copa-libertadores","tag-copa-libertadores-predictions","tag-copa-sudamericana","tag-copa-sudamericana-predictions","tag-flamengo","tag-ldu-quito","tag-palmeiras","tag-racing-club","tag-south-american-football"],"modified_by":"Steen Kirby","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/660639","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1442"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=660639"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/660639\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":660641,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/660639\/revisions\/660641"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/660640"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=660639"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=660639"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=660639"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}