- Palmeiras and Cerro Porteño will meet once again to decide who advances to the CONMEBOL Libertadores quarterfinals.
- In their last meeting in Brazil, the Paraguayan side won 1-0 with a goal from Pablo Vegetti.
Palmeiras and Cerro Porteño did not have to wait long to meet again. After sharing Group F of the CONMEBOL Libertadores, the Brazilian and Paraguayan sides will now face each other with a place in the next round at stake. The first chapter of their story favored 'El Ciclón': they drew 1-1 in Asunción and then claimed a 1-0 victory in São Paulo, a result that proved decisive in securing top spot in the group with 13 points, two more than their opponents.
Palmeiras in the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026: results, squad and schedule
Palmeiras will play the first leg at Allianz Parque while enjoying a dominant spell in Brazil. Abel Ferreira's side lead the Brasileirão with 47 points from 21 matches and only two defeats, having also won the Campeonato Paulista while remaining in contention on several fronts.
The CONMEBOL Libertadores nevertheless carries particular significance following the defeat to Flamengo in the 2025 Final. Jhon Arias, who scored three goals during the Group Stage, José Manuel López and Vitor Roque form part of an attack with multiple options for a squad once again regarded among the title contenders. Their immediate challenge will be finding answers against the only opponent to have beaten them during this year's continental campaign.
Cerro Porteño in the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026: results, squad and schedule
Cerro Porteño travel to São Paulo with the confidence of knowing that success at this venue is possible, although their start to the Paraguayan Clausura has been more uneven and they arrive after a 1-0 defeat to Sportivo Ameliano. Ariel Holan built a team that proved difficult to break down during the CONMEBOL Libertadores: after losing their opening match against Sporting Cristal, they conceded only one goal across the following five matchdays and collected enough points to finish top of their group.
Pablo Vegetti scored three times and proved decisive both against Junior and Palmeiras themselves, while Jorge Morel established himself as a central figure in midfield. With six Semifinal appearances in their history but still searching for their first title, 'El Ciclón' will hope that what happened during the first half of the year proves to be more than simply an encouraging precedent.
Match details:
Stadium: Allianz Parque, São Paulo
Date and time: Wednesday, August 12 at 7:00 p.m.
Referee: Gustavo Tejera (URU)
VAR: Leodán González (URU)
Match facts:
- Palmeiras recorded the most passes breaking the opposition's defensive line during the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026 Group Stage (45), while Marlon Freitas led all players in that category with 12.
- Cerro Porteño and Palmeiras will reach 20 meetings in the CONMEBOL Libertadores after this tie, making it the most frequently played matchup between teams from different countries in the competition's history. This will be their third meeting in the knockout stages, all in the Round of 16, with the Brazilian side progressing on both previous occasions.
- Palmeiras averaged 70% possession and 1.99 expected goals per match against Cerro Porteño during the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026 Group Stage. However, 'El Ciclón' conceded only one goal across the two matches and remained unbeaten (1 win, 1 draw).
- Pablo Vegetti (Cerro Porteño) contested the most aerial duels during the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026 Group Stage, with 69. He also ranked second for aerial duels won, with 30, behind Nacional's Maxi Gómez (33).
- Cerro Porteño have taken points from three of their last five away matches in Brazil in CONMEBOL Libertadores knockout rounds (2 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses), including a 1-0 victory over Palmeiras in the 2018 Round of 16.
