- The Mendoza side drew 0-0 with Fluminense in the first leg of the Round of 16 and kept an improbable streak alive: it has played twice at the most mythical stadium in South America and never lost.
- Back in April, it had already won there 2-1 in the Group Stage; the series will be decided on Tuesday the 18th, at 7:00 PM, at the Malvinas Argentinas.
Some stadiums weigh on you before the opening whistle. The Maracanã, with its history of finals, ghosts, and legends, sits near the top of that list in South America. And yet, for the club that was playing in Argentina's second division two years ago and is competing in the first CONMEBOL Libertadores of its history in 2026, the giant of Rio has become strangely friendly territory: Independiente Rivadavia has visited twice, and both times it walked out the front door without tasting defeat.
The first snapshot was written on April 15, in the Group Stage: that 2-1 win over Fluminense that this very site chronicled as a feat, the night 'La Lepra Mendocina' silenced a Maracanã that had been expecting a passing guest. The second came this Tuesday, in an even more demanding setting: a Round of 16 first leg, against a 'Tricolor' reinforced by Hulk and Thiago Silva and pushed forward by its fans. The final 0-0 lacked the shine of April's triumph, but it carried the same essence: order, patience, and the sense that no stage is too big for anyone on this team.
Because the draw was much more than a fortunate retreat. Alfredo Berti's side handed the ball to Fluminense and denied it everything else: the hosts' attempts almost always died far from the box, without testing Franco Bolcato, while 'La Lepra' broke on the counter every time the game allowed it. The clearest chance of the night, in fact, belonged to Mendoza: Matías Fernández's free kick early in the second half, from the right, which traveled across the entire box and crashed into the crossbar, inches from the angle.
The night also left a storyline with a name of its own: Maximiliano Salas's tournament debut as Alex Arce's partner up front. The forward played the role Berti had imagined for him: he worked with his back to goal, held the ball up against the center backs to let his team breathe, and served as the first outlet for the quick transitions that troubled Fluminense all night long; he even had a chance or two of his own to leave the Maracanã with an even bigger prize.
The series numbers explain the growing belief in Mendoza: Independiente Rivadavia has not lost any of its three 2026 meetings with Fluminense — 2-1 in Rio, 1-1 in Mendoza, and now 0-0 — an unbeaten run built against a club that has reached the tournament final three times and won it in 2023. The Group C winner, one of the best group-stage leaders, keeps treating the giants with a naturalness that belies its status as a debutant.
What comes next may be one of the greatest nights in the club's history: on Tuesday, August 18, at 7:00 PM, the Malvinas Argentinas will host the decider with 'La Lepra' once again in control of its own destiny. The Maracanã has learned to respect it. Now, with its people and in its home — where Fluminense couldn't beat it this year either —, Independiente Rivadavia will be chasing the next unwritten page: one with "quarterfinals" in its title.
