First leg (rescheduled)
- The tie, rescheduled after the earthquake that struck Colombia, opens in Ibagué with 'El Pijao' facing the two-time CONMEBOL Sudamericana champions; the second leg will be on Tuesday the 25th in Quito.
- Tolima are looking to become the first Colombian team in two decades to reach the quarterfinals coming through the preliminary stages; Independiente del Valle arrive with the Group Stage shot record.
The only tie yet to begin will play its first leg on Tuesday in Ibagué: the matchup between Deportes Tolima and Independiente del Valle was rescheduled after the earthquake that struck Colombia on August 10, and the second leg will be played on Tuesday the 25th in Quito, at the Estadio Banco Guayaquil.
'El Pijao' reach the Round of 16 after a long road: they eliminated Deportivo Táchira and O'Higgins in the preliminary phases and advanced as Group B runners-up with 8 points, edging Nacional of Uruguay on head-to-head record. Sebastián Oliveros, 38, took charge in June with a possession-based, attack-minded proposal, underpinned by the safe hands of goalkeeper Neto Volpi — clean sheets in six of his ten appearances — and the movement of Luis Sandoval up front.
Deportes Tolima in the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026: results, squad and schedule
Independiente del Valle, by contrast, arrive with the billing of silent contenders: they won Group H with 13 points and an attacking output of 11 goals, with captain Junior Sornoza as their standard-bearer, Carlos González as their marksman — six goals, including a hat-trick against Libertad — and Jordy Alcívar as the balance of a midfield that never suffers despite player sales.
Joaquín Papa's team also carry a historic motivation: two-time CONMEBOL Sudamericana champions (2019 and 2022) and Libertadores finalists in 2016, 'El Rayo' are chasing the only major continental title they lack. For Tolima, meanwhile, the challenge is to make history: reaching South America's top eight by making the Murillo Toro count before the decider at altitude in Quito.
Tie yet to begin: the aggregate winner will advance to the quarterfinals; if the teams are level after both matches, penalties will decide.
Independiente del Valle in the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026: results, squad and schedule
Match details:
Stadium: Manuel Murillo Toro, Ibagué
Date and time: Tuesday, August 18 at 7:30 p.m. (Colombia time) — *Rescheduled match (first leg)
Referee: Wilton Sampaio (BRA)
VAR: Daniel Nobre (BRA)
Match facts:
- Tolima are the third Colombian team to come through the preliminary stages and reach the round of 16 of a CONMEBOL Libertadores edition, after Junior in 2005 and Santa Fe in 2006. Neither of the previous two managed to advance to the quarterfinals.
- Tolima (third place with 62%) and Independiente del Valle (fifth place with 59%) rank among the five teams with the highest average possession in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores Group Stage.
- Independiente del Valle's 131 shots in the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026 are the most by any team in a group stage of the competition since records began (2013).
- Tolima and Independiente del Valle have met twice in the CONMEBOL Libertadores, with 'Los Pijaos' drawing away (2-2) and winning at home (1-0) in the 2022 group stage. Only one team has played more than two matches against 'El Negriazul' in the competition without ever losing (Palmeiras, W4 in P4).
- Independiente del Valle have four wins in the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026. Only once have 'El Negriazul' reached five or more victories in a single edition of the competition: eight wins in 2016, the year they finished runners-up.
