- Mirassol and Liga de Quito will replay the duel that brought them face to face in the Group Stage.
- The Brazilian side will try to secure a good result that allows it to travel to Ecuador with peace of mind for the series decider.
Mirassol and Liga de Quito will meet again only a few months after featuring in one of the most evenly matched groups of the Group Stage. Both finished with 12 points, four wins and two defeats, while also splitting their head-to-head meetings: LDU won 2-0 in Ecuador before the São Paulo side responded with the same scoreline in Brazil. They even finished with the same goal difference, with first place going to the Ecuadorians solely because they had scored one more goal. After six matchdays in which virtually nothing separated them, they will now have 180 minutes to establish a definitive difference.
Mirassol in the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026: results, squad and schedule
Mirassol will open the tie at the José Maria de Campos Maia, the stadium where they built much of their surprising continental campaign. They won all three Group Stage matches there and did not concede against Lanús, Always Ready or Liga de Quito themselves. The contrast comes in the Brasileirão, where they have yet to reproduce the extraordinary form that carried them to fourth place during their debut top-flight season in 2025.
Rafael Guanaes continues to rely on Reinaldo, the captain who provides experience to a squad competing internationally for the first time, and Shaylon, one of the team's most creative players. Their attacking output also reflects the collective nature of the side: all seven of their goals in the tournament have been scored by different players.
Liga de Quito in the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026: results, squad and schedule
Liga de Quito will contest the tie under different leadership from the coach who guided them through the Group Stage. Gustavo Álvarez replaced Tiago Nunes in July and began his tenure with two victories before a 2-0 defeat to leaders Independiente del Valle. The 2008 South American champions also arrive with the recent memory of reaching the Semifinals in 2025 and with the opportunity to decide the tie at the Rodrigo Paz Delgado, where they collected all nine available points during the first phase.
Gonzalo Valle provides security in goal, while Deyverson — who scored a decisive brace against Always Ready on the final matchday — brings experience in a competition he has already won with Palmeiras. Having experienced both sides of this matchup during the Group Stage, LDU must now find a way to return from Brazil with a result that allows them to make the most of the second leg in Quito.
Match details:
Stadium: José María de Campos Maia, Mirassol
Date and time: Thursday, August 13 at 7:00 p.m.
Referee: Alexis Herrera (VEN)
VAR: Juan Soto (VEN)
Match facts:
- Mirassol's home match against Liga de Quito was their best performance of the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026 Group Stage in terms of shots (15), shots on target (8) and crosses (26). It was also their second-best match for expected goals (2.06 xG), behind only their away match against Always Ready (2.13 xG). Mirassol beat the Ecuadorians 2-0.
- Leonel Quiñónez (Liga de Quito) completed 76 line-breaking passes during the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026 Group Stage, the second-highest total in that phase behind Boca's Leandro Paredes (89).
- Brazilian teams have won 19 of their 22 home matches against Liga de Quito in the CONMEBOL Libertadores (1 draw, 2 losses). However, both of LDU's victories came in knockout rounds: 1-0 against Santos in the 2020 Round of 16 and 1-0 against São Paulo in the 2025 quarterfinals.
- Liga de Quito scored five goals after the 70th minute in the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026, tied with Flamengo for the highest total in the Group Stage. However, four of those goals were scored at home.
- Alesson is one of seven Mirassol players to have scored in the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026. He also leads the team in assists (3), total shots (7), big chances created (3), touches in the opposition box (17), attempted dribbles (18) and completed dribbles (7) in the competition.