- Palmeiras and LDU Quito will meet again in the CONMEBOL Libertadores, just one year after one of the most unforgettable semi-finals of recent editions.
- This time, a place among the continent's top four will be at stake.
The memory is still fresh. In 2025, LDU Quito appeared to have one foot in the final after securing a 3-0 victory in Ecuador in the first leg. But the Brazilian side rose to the challenge and produced one of the great nights in their recent history: in São Paulo, Abel Ferreira's team won 4-0, overturned the tie and booked their place in the CONMEBOL Libertadores Final. Now, fate has brought the two sides together once again in a tie that, even before kick-off, has all the ingredients for a high-octane encounter.
Some CONMEBOL Libertadores stories seem destined for a second chapter. Palmeiras and LDU Quito will write theirs in the quarter-finals: the first leg will be played on Wednesday 9 September at the NuBank Parque Stadium in São Paulo, with the tie to be decided a week later at the Rodrigo Paz Delgado Stadium in Quito.
From a remarkable achievement to a rematch
The two legs of the 2025 semi-final could hardly have been more different. In the Ecuadorian capital, LDU were ruthless and built what initially looked like an almost unassailable lead thanks to goals from Gabriel Villamíl, Lisandro Alzugaray and Brian Ramírez. Palmeiras were on the ropes and knew they needed to score at least four goals at home to progress.
The 4-0 second-leg victory not only allowed the 'Verdão' to overturn the aggregate score. It was also another display of the pedigree of a side that, through results and remarkable achievements, has established itself as one of the continent's giants over the past decade. Palmeiras found the goals they needed through an unstoppable Raphael Veiga, who scored twice to complete the comeback after Bruno Fuchs and Ramón Sosa had also found the net. They withstood the pressure and completed the turnaround in front of a packed Allianz Parque, with the home crowd driving the side on from the very first minute and believing in another remarkable comeback under Portuguese manager Ferreira.
One year on, both sides are once again among the best eight teams in South America. Palmeiras reached this stage after overcoming Cerro Porteño 2-1 on aggregate, while LDU Quito eliminated Mirassol on penalties following two draws.
Unfinished business for LDU
For the Ecuadorian side, the reunion offers an opportunity to turn that elimination into fresh motivation. LDU will contest the quarter-finals for the second consecutive edition after overcoming a fellow Palmeiras compatriot. Gustavo Álvarez's side edged past Mirassol in a tightly contested tie. Following a 1-1 draw in Brazil and a goalless draw in Quito, the tie was decided on penalties, with 'Albo' goalkeeper Gonzalo Valle emerging as the hero after saving Victor Luis' spot-kick.
The Ecuadorian goalkeeper was a key pillar of LDU's run to the semi-finals in the 2025 edition: he played ten matches and made 49 saves — 15 of them in the quarter-final tie against São Paulo — before missing the semi-final against Palmeiras due to a knee ligament injury. A year later, the reunion represents a chance for the Riobamba-born goalkeeper to seek revenge and face once again the side that brought his continental dream to an end last season.
Palmeiras, once again among the contenders
Standing in their way will be a Palmeiras side that, under Ferreira, have once again delivered when it matters most. After finishing second in their group, the 'Verdão' were drawn against Cerro Porteño once again in the Round of 16 and progressed after a 1-1 draw in São Paulo and a 1-0 victory in Asunción.
The Brazilian side will now look to overcome LDU and reach their seventh semi-final in the last nine editions of the Gloria Eterna.
