Flamengo will welcome Estudiantes to the Maracanã on Thursday at 21:30 local time for the second leg of their Copa Libertadores 2026 semifinal, according to TyC Sports. The tie arrives level after a 0-0 draw in La Plata, leaving the Rio de Janeiro match to determine the competition's second finalist.
Palmeiras already occupy the first spot in the final, having eliminated Fluminense on penalties. The winner of Thursday's clash will meet them for the title.
Why it matters
Flamengo enter the decider as the reigning champions, but their performance in Argentina raised questions. According to TyC Sports, the Rio side struggled to impose their usual game in the first leg and did not manage a single shot on target against goalkeeper Fernando Muslera.
Estudiantes, by contrast, held their own against the holders and created the better chances in La Plata, even though they could not convert them into a lead. The Argentine club now has the opportunity to reach a Libertadores final in a stadium where visiting teams rarely feel comfortable.
For Flamengo, the match is a chance to keep their title defence alive on home turf. For Estudiantes, it is a shot at history at the Maracanã, with the final itself set for the Centenario in Uruguay.
Selection questions for Jardim
Flamengo coach Leonardo Jardim used his pre-match press conference to run through a list of fitness concerns, as reported by TyC Sports. The main doubt surrounds Giorgian de Arrascaeta, who is working his way back from surgery on a fracture to his left wrist.
Jardim said he and his staff would assess both Arrascaeta and Ayrton Lucas before making a call. He confirmed that Everton Araújo will not feature, explaining that the player had trained with the group but is no longer available. Saúl remains uncertain, while Danilo has been ruled out entirely.
On the domestic front, Flamengo have found form. TyC Sports reports two straight Brasileirão wins — 1-0 over Fluminense and 3-0 over Bahía — which have taken them to the top of the table on 67 points. That run offers Jardim's side some momentum going into a knockout match where the margins are likely to be small.
The probable Flamengo lineup listed by TyC Sports is: Agustín Rossi; Guillermo Varela, Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira, Alex Sandro; Erick Pulgar, Saúl Ñíguez; Gonzalo Plata, Jorge Carrascal, Samuel Lino; Pedro.
Reinforcements arrive for Medina
Estudiantes coach Alexander Medina has options he lacked in the first leg. Leandro González Pírez and Tomás Palacios were both unavailable for the opener through suspension and are now in contention, with TyC Sports indicating they are likely to start.
Marcos Rojo, who also missed the first meeting, has been cleared by CONMEBOL and was included in the squad. Infocielo reported that Medina named his travelling list with Rojo aboard as the team departed for Brazil.
Medina struck a determined tone ahead of the match, telling reporters that roughly ninety-odd minutes separate his players from a dream and that the group believes in its own potential. He stressed that nothing had been handed to Estudiantes and that the club had earned its place in this position on merit, adding that they intend to defend that right to reach the final.
Supporters have travelled too. Olé reported that Estudiantes fans greeted the squad on arrival in Rio, while Diario El Día de La Plata described the Pincha feeling at home in the city ahead of the game.
The visitors' domestic form, however, is modest. TyC Sports notes that Estudiantes have won just one of their last seven matches across all competitions, sit tenth in Zona A and are currently outside the playoff places. None of that changes the fact that the series remains open.
The probable Estudiantes lineup listed by TyC Sports is: Fernando Muslera; Eros Mancuso, Santiago Núñez, Leandro González Pírez or Marcos Rojo, Tomás Palacios; Alexis Castro, Ezequiel Piovi, Baltasar Rodríguez; Tiago Palacios or Joaquín Correa, Guido Carrillo, Joaquín Tobio Burgos.
What to watch
Whether Arrascaeta features, and how quickly Estudiantes settle at the Maracanã, will shape the night. A single goal separates one of these clubs from a final against Palmeiras.
