- Boca Juniors-São Paulo, Independiente Santa Fe-Vasco da Gama, Boca Juniors-São Paulo, Independiente Santa Fe-Vasco da Gama, Atlético Mineiro-Santos and Montevideo City Torque-Cienciano will contest the ties in the next round.
- Four of the eight remaining sides already know what it means to be crowned CONMEBOL Sudamericana champions.
The Gran Conquista has now confirmed the eight sides keeping their dreams of lifting the trophy alive. The Round of 16 produced a quarter-final line-up featuring big names, title contenders, regulars in the latter stages and teams continuing to write unprecedented chapters in their international history.
Brazil will have four representatives, while Argentina, Uruguay, Peru and Colombia each have one side among the eight best. Boca Juniors, São Paulo, Independiente Santa Fe and Cienciano already have the trophy in their cabinets and will be looking to repeat their triumphs, but new challengers will seek to stand in their way on the road to the final, which will be played in Barranquilla on 21 November.
Boca Juniors vs São Paulo
The 'Xeneize' side endured some early scares in the opening knockout round against Recoleta, but their individual quality ultimately told as they turned the tie around. They fell behind at home, but finished the first leg strongly to win 3-1 before claiming a 4-0 victory in the second leg in Paraguay. Rodolfo Arruabarrena's side have found in Santiago Ascacíbar a versatile midfielder capable of unlocking games and stepping up in important moments. Alongside the engine room led by Leandro Paredes, he makes Boca one of the leading contenders heading into the quarter-finals.
The São Paulo side had to work harder than expected to see off a surprising and highly competitive Bolívar. The 1-1 draw in the first leg in the altitude of La Paz set the stage for an intense second leg. And that is exactly what followed: Jonathan Calleri, the Brazilian side's captain, turned the tie in the Tricolor's favour 20 minutes from time with a penalty. Sabino then put the result beyond doubt to seal a 3-1 victory and send Dorival Júnior's side through.
Independiente Santa Fe vs Vasco da Gama
Independiente Santa Fe's qualification had all the hallmarks of a heroic and epic triumph. Against River in the Round of 16, they needed a penalty shoot-out after a 0-0 draw in the first leg and a 1-1 draw in the second. From the spot, Weimar Asprilla produced a remarkable performance: he saved one penalty and then sealed the tie with his own spot-kick after the other 21 outfield players had all taken theirs. The goalkeeper, who stepped in following regular starter Andrés Mosquera's injury, sent the 'León' into the Gran Conquista's last eight.
The 'cruzmaltino' endured a difficult tie against Olimpia. In Rio de Janeiro, the solidity of Paraguayan goalkeeper Gastón Olveira kept the contest goalless until the second leg. Away from home, Vasco showed their strength despite falling behind. On an inspired night, their attacking unit came to the fore and the 4-1 scoreline reflected a performance which deservedly took the Rio side into the next round of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana.
Atlético Mineiro vs Santos
The 'Galo' will face a familiar opponent for the second knockout tie in a row. In the Round of 16, their obstacle was Red Bull Bragantino, who provided a demanding and physically draining contest. Mineiro won the first leg 1-0 through a Tomás Cuello goal. The second leg in Belo Horizonte ended 2-2 in a goal-filled encounter, with the same player once again taking centre stage. Just as the tie appeared destined for penalties, the Argentine forward struck in stoppage time to level the match and make it 3-2 on aggregate, sending Eduardo Domínguez's side through.
Santos set the pace in their tie from the outset, backed by their home support. With Neymar and Gabriel Barbosa at their best, the 'Peixe' defeated surprise package Macará of Ecuador 2-1 and held that advantage throughout the 90 minutes of the second leg. Cuca's side will be looking to reach their first Gran Conquista final.
Montevideo City Torque vs Cienciano
The 'citizen' side continue to write the most important chapters in their international history. Marcelo Méndez's team eliminated Tigre after winning the first leg 1-0 and following it up with a solid 2-1 victory in the return. With Salomón Rodríguez and Franco Pizzichillo as their main attacking threats, the club, which is just 18 years old, will look to halt the upward trajectory of Cienciano, who lifted the trophy at the beginning of the century.
The Cusco side produced one of the most memorable victories of the Round of 16. At the Estadio Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, they thrashed Botafogo 6-1 to all but settle the tie in the first leg. With Matías Succar the standout performer, replacing leading scorer Carlos Garcés, the side managed by Argentine coach Melgarejo produced a masterclass in Cusco before travelling to Rio de Janeiro with a commanding advantage. The 1-0 defeat merely reduced the aggregate margin for a side who have already eliminated reigning champions Lanús and now dream of reclaiming the crown.
