- Caracas will look to mount a comeback in Barquisimeto after suffering a 2-0 defeat in Bogotá, while Santa Fe will aim to protect the advantage secured through goals from Hugo Rodallega and Franco Fagúndez.
- The winner will face River Plate in the Round of 16.
Caracas will put their continental campaign on the line in Barquisimeto after losing 2-0 in the first leg in Bogotá. Henry Meléndez’s side had no domestic action over the weekend, with the Venezuelan Clausura set to begin on July 31, allowing them to focus fully on their bid to overturn the deficit. ‘El Rojo’ will look to make home advantage count as they try to turn the tie around and extend their run in the competition.
Independiente Santa Fe, meanwhile, suffered a 2-1 defeat to Águilas Doradas in their league opener. Head coach Pablo Repetto rotated his squad and rested several key players with the return leg in mind, where ‘El Cardenal’ will defend the two-goal cushion earned through strikes from Hugo Rodallega and Franco Fagúndez. The winner will take on River Plate in the Round of 16.
Match information
Stadium: Metropolitano de Cabudare, Barquisimeto
Date and kick-off time: Thursday, July 30 at 8:30 p.m.
Referee: Anderson Daronco (BRA)
VAR: Pablo Goncalves (BRA)
The match in numbers:
- Santa Fe won their most recent match in the 2026 Libertadores, beating Peñarol 1-0 in Uruguay, and will now look to record consecutive away victories in CONMEBOL competitions for the fourth time in their history, having previously done so in 1967-72, 2013 and 2018.
- Caracas are unbeaten in seven of their last nine home matches in knockout rounds of CONMEBOL competitions, losing only twice. They also kept a clean sheet in seven of those matches.
- Independiente Santa Fe’s Nahuel Bustos was the only player to provide an assist after completing a dribble among all players who featured in the first legs of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana Playoffs.
- Two of Caracas’ three home goals in the 2026 Sudamericana were scored with headers, matching their total across all previous home matches in CONMEBOL competitions since 2020 (17 matches).
- Hugo Rodallega has now scored four goals for Independiente Santa Fe in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana. Only two players have scored more for ‘El León’ in the competition: Óscar Rodas (5) and Wilson Morelo (7).
