- During the group stage of the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores, La Lepra from Mendoza pulled off a stunning 2-1 victory in Rio de Janeiro, producing a Maracanazo of their own.
- The winners of the tactical duel between Argentinian coaches Alfredo Berti and Luis Zubeldía will face either Platense or Coquimbo Unido in the quarter-finals.
Independiente Rivadavia and Fluminense will meet again, this time in the Round of 16 of the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores, after sharing Group C. Above all, the reunion comes after the Rio club’s supporters “celebrated” the Argentinian side’s 3-1 victory over Bolívar in Bolivia on the final matchday. Had the Bolivian side won, they would have overtaken Flu and secured a place in the Round of 16. Fluminense, meanwhile, did their part with a 3-1 home victory over La Guaira. The draw has now brought the two teams together again for an immediate rematch.
On Matchday 2 of Group C, La Lepra from Mendoza reached what may so far be the highest point in their history. Alfredo ‘El Loco’ Berti’s side produced a Maracanazo of their own: after falling behind to a Guilherme Arana goal, they turned the match around through strikes from Fabrizio Sartori and Alex Arce.
They became only the fourth Argentinian team to win at Rio de Janeiro’s iconic stadium in the history of the CONMEBOL Libertadores. It was a statement victory that Independiente Rivadavia later backed up by finishing as the second-best group winner.
On Matchday 2 of Group C in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores, La Lepra from Mendoza reached what may be the highest point in their history so far. Alfredo ‘El Loco’ Berti’s side produced a Maracanazo of their own: after falling behind to a Guilherme Arana goal, they turned the match around through strikes from Fabrizio Sartori and Alex Arce.
They became only the fourth Argentinian team to win at Rio de Janeiro’s iconic stadium in the history of the CONMEBOL Libertadores. It was a statement victory that Independiente Rivadavia later backed up by finishing as the second-best group winner.
If La Lepra from Mendoza failed to complete a perfect Group C campaign, it was entirely because of Fluminense, coached by Argentinian Luis Zubeldía.
At the Estadio Malvinas Argentinas in Mendoza on Matchday 4, Independiente Rivadavia took the lead after 21 minutes of the second half through Paraguay’s Arce, their leading goalscorer. But in the first minute of stoppage time, none other than John Kennedy appeared — the man who struck the decisive goal against Boca in Fluminense’s 2-1 victory in the 2023 CONMEBOL Libertadores final, which secured the club’s first title in the competition.
Independiente Rivadavia v Fluminense is one of three Round of 16 ties between teams that shared a group, alongside Mirassol v Liga de Quito and Palmeiras v Cerro Porteño. This meeting carries the added twist that the Argentinian side “helped” their Brazilian opponents on the final matchday.
Something similar happened in 2014, when Bolívar “helped” Flamengo during the group stage by beating Chile’s Palestino on the final matchday, only to lose to the Rio de Janeiro side in the Round of 16.
On an even bigger stage, Mexico’s Tigres “helped” River Plate in the 2015 edition by defeating Juan Aurich in Peru on the final group-stage matchday. They would later lose to El Millonario in the final in Argentina, in what remains the last CONMEBOL Libertadores final to be played over two legs.
With the stage set, Independiente Rivadavia will travel to the Maracanã to face Fluminense in the first leg in August, following the World Cup. The return leg will be played at the Estadio Malvinas Argentinas. The winners will face either Platense or Coquimbo Unido in the quarter-finals, meaning an all-Argentinian tie could be on the cards should El Calamar progress. La Gloria Eterna awaits at the end of the road.
