- The Brazilian side will open the tie in Rio de Janeiro in front of their home support against the Argentine team who, in their first appearance, continue to make history.
- The 'Calamar' will look to end Fluminense's unbeaten home record, with the Brazilian side yet to lose in six home quarter-final matches in the CONMEBOL Libertadores.
The quarter-finals get under way on Tuesday with an unmissable clash: Fluminense, runners-up in 2008 and champions in 2023, welcome a Platense side competing in the CONMEBOL Libertadores for the first time in their history and already among the continent's last eight.
The Rio de Janeiro 'Tricolor' reached the quarter-finals the hard way. After a 0-0 draw at the Maracanã against Independiente Rivadavia, the second leg in Mendoza became a night of resistance: Fluminense were reduced to ten men following Agustín Canobbio's 57th-minute dismissal, took the lead through Kevin Serna in the 76th minute and then conceded an equaliser from Álex Arce, who converted from the penalty spot in the seventh minute of stoppage time. In the shoot-out, with Fábio the standout performer, Marcão's side prevailed 5-4 to keep alive a campaign in which they finished second in their group behind the 'Lepra Mendocina' themselves.
Fluminense in the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026: results, squad and fixtures
Platense, meanwhile, have built their run on defensive solidity and success from the penalty spot. The 'Calamar' came through a group featuring Corinthians, Peñarol and Santa Fe — beating the 'Timão' 2-0 in São Paulo — before eliminating Coquimbo Unido in the Round of 16 after a 1-1 draw in the first leg and a goalless second leg: 0-0 in Chile followed by a 7-6 victory on penalties, with goalkeeper Juan Pablo Cozzani the hero and Franco Zapiola — with three goals — their leading scorer in the CONMEBOL Libertadores. Since August, they have been managed by Martín Palermo, who faced Fluminense as a player in the 2008 semi-finals with Boca Juniors and now comes up against them again from the dugout.
The tie also has an element of experience. Forty-one-year-old captain Thiago Silva started in Mendoza after rallying the dressing room by recalling that 2008 final against LDU, and warned that this could be his final CONMEBOL Libertadores campaign. Platense, meanwhile, will rely on a formula that has already served them well in the knockout rounds: organisation, patience and efficiency when it matters most.
Platense in the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026: results, squad and fixtures
Match details
Stadium: Jornalista Mário Filho (Maracanã), Rio de Janeiro
Date and kick-off: Tuesday 8 September, 19:00
Referee: Andrés Matonte (URU)
VAR: Andrés Cunha (URU)
Match facts
- Fluminense are unbeaten at home in the quarter-finals of the CONMEBOL Libertadores (3W 3D). However, they have won 100% of their quarter-final matches played at the Maracanã in front of a crowd (3W, excluding the pandemic season).
- Platense are looking to become the third debutants in the 21st century to reach the CONMEBOL Libertadores semi-finals, after Cúcuta in 2007 and Cruz Azul in 2001.
- Martín Palermo (Platense) will manage in the CONMEBOL Libertadores quarter-finals for the second time, having previously done so with Arsenal de Sarandí in 2014. As a player, however, he featured in the quarter-finals in four editions (2000, 2005, 2007 and 2008), progressing from three of them. He also faced Fluminense as a player in the 2008 semi-finals.
- Fluminense average 3.3 constructed attacks per match in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores, the highest figure in the competition. Platense, meanwhile, average 0.25 per game, the second-lowest figure among the teams that took part in the group stage.
- Among the teams in the quarter-finals, Platense are the only side to have scored more than once following a high regain — within the first 40 metres of the opposition's half — in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores, with two such goals.
