- Boca Juniors, Santos and Cienciano won their first legs at home and now visit São Paulo, Atlético Mineiro and Montevideo City Torque; Vasco da Gama and Independiente Santa Fe settle their tie at São Januário after the 0-0 in Bogotá.
- The four return legs will be played between Tuesday, September 15 and Thursday, September 17.
No visiting team scored in the first legs of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana quarterfinals, and that is the first key to the week: the three winners did it at home and now have to hold on away. Boca Juniors take a 1-0 lead to the Morumbi, where São Paulo will be without Jonathan Calleri; Santos travel to Belo Horizonte two goals up on Atlético Mineiro, the reigning runners-up, who get Tomás Cuello back; Cienciano cross to Montevideo with the 2-0 from Cusco to face a Montevideo City Torque side that has never lost at home in the competition. The tie with no advantage is Vasco da Gama vs. Independiente Santa Fe, who drew 0-0 at El Campín and will settle it at São Januário.
The schedule starts on Tuesday the 15th with Vasco-Santa Fe and São Paulo-Boca, continues on Wednesday the 16th with Atlético Mineiro-Santos and ends on Thursday the 17th with City Torque-Cienciano.
Vasco da Gama vs. Independiente Santa Fe
One goal. That is all Independiente Santa Fe have conceded in five matches of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana, an average of 0.2 per game that is the third-lowest figure in the tournament's history for teams with at least five matches in an edition, behind only Universidad de Chile in 2011 and Montevideo Wanderers in 2016. With Weimar Asprilla, the standout against River in the Round of 16 and decisive again in Bogotá, Pablo Repetto's side arrive at São Januário with the same formula: shut the door and wait.
The 0-0 at El Campín left the feeling that it could have gone either way. Iván Scarpeta headed in after eight minutes, but the goal was ruled out for offside; Franco Fagúndez struck the crossbar with a left-footed shot in the second half, and Léo Jardim held Vasco together with a double save in stoppage time from Fagúndez himself and Hugo Rodallega. At the other end, Asprilla denied Claudio Spinelli twice. The Brazilian goalkeeper summed it up afterwards: "We played a smart game. And now we'll have to settle it at home."
Vasco da Gama in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: results, squad and schedule
That home advantage is the big argument for Pedro Emanuel's side. Vasco have never lost at home to Colombian opponents in CONMEBOL competitions, with five wins and two draws, have four straight wins in that situation and have conceded just two goals in seven meetings. Their last defeat to a Colombian side, home or away, was in 1996, to Santa Fe themselves in the Copa CONMEBOL. In addition, they were without Adson in the first leg, the player with the best difference between expected goals and goals scored in the edition: four goals from 1.26 accumulated xG, excluding penalties.
Santa Fe, however, have been here before. In the last three CONMEBOL competition ties in which they drew the first leg at home, they went through: against Millonarios and Deportivo Cali in 2018 and against River this year, always in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana. And the two teams share a way of attacking: Vasco (2.4) and Santa Fe (2.3) are two of the three teams with the most shots from counterattacks per match since the start of the group stage, behind only Boca.
Independiente Santa Fe in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: results, squad and schedule
Match details:
Stadium: São Januário, Rio de Janeiro
Date and time: Tuesday, September 15, 7:00 PM (Argentina time)
Referee: Alexis Herrera (Venezuela)
VAR: Carlos Orbe (Ecuador)
The match in numbers:
- Vasco have never lost at home to Colombian opponents in CONMEBOL competitions (5W 2D) and are on an active run of four wins against those teams at home. In addition, they have conceded just two goals in seven meetings (0.3 per game).
- Independiente Santa Fe went through in the last three CONMEBOL competition knockout ties in which they drew the first leg at home, all in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana. In that span, they beat Millonarios (2018), Deportivo Cali (2018) and River (2026).
- Adson, of Vasco, is the player with the best difference between accumulated expected goals (1.26) and goals actually scored (4) in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana, excluding penalties, at 2.74. The striker was not called up for the first leg of this tie and scored in his last appearance in the competition, against Olimpia.
- Independiente Santa Fe have conceded just one goal so far in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana, an average of 0.2 per match: it is the third-lowest figure in the competition's history for teams with at least five matches played in a single edition, above only Universidad de Chile in 2011 (0.17) and Montevideo Wanderers in 2016 (0).
- Vasco (2.4) and Independiente Santa Fe (2.3) are two of the three teams with the most shots from counterattacks per match since the start of the group stage of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana, figures surpassed only by Boca (3.4).
São Paulo vs. Boca Juniors
The story has already been written once, and with the same numbers. In 2007, São Paulo lost 2-1 at La Bombonera to Boca and won 1-0 at the Morumbi to advance to the quarterfinals of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana. It was the first link in a chain of comebacks: since then, the 'Tricolor' have overturned five of the last eight knockout ties in the competition in which they lost the first leg away. Nineteen years later, Boca return to Brazil with a slim lead, that of Miguel Merentiel's 1-0 in Buenos Aires.
The context, however, is different. São Paulo come into this match without Jonathan Calleri, suspended for an accumulation of yellow cards after the booking he received at La Bombonera, and off their first defeat of the edition. At home, on the other hand, they have a clear pattern: they opened the scoring in every home match of this CONMEBOL Sudamericana, 38% of their home goals came before the tenth minute and the latest was against Bolívar, in the 17th. The Morumbi will also be the stage for their 91st match in the competition, which moves them past Lanús and to within seven of Liga de Quito, the all-time leader.
São Paulo in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: results, squad and schedule
Boca, for their part, recently broke a pattern that had been haunting them. With the 4-0 against Recoleta in the Round of 16 they ended a run of eleven matches without an away win in knockout rounds of CONMEBOL competitions, with six draws and five defeats, and the last time they had strung together two away wins in those stages was in the 2019 CONMEBOL Libertadores, when they eliminated Athletico Paranaense. Rodolfo Arruabarrena's side are unbeaten in eleven matches in all competitions and have in Merentiel their man for the decisive nights: he has scored in three of his five matches in the competition and, if he scores again, will join Rodrigo Palacio, Martín Palermo, Andrés Chávez and Edinson Cavani as the only 'Xeneizes' with more than three goals in a single edition.
Boca Juniors in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: results, squad and schedule
Match details:
Stadium: MorumBIS, São Paulo
Date and time: Tuesday, September 15, 9:30 PM (Argentina time)
Referee: Gustavo Tejera (Uruguay)
VAR: Leodán González (Uruguay)
The match in numbers:
- São Paulo managed to come back in five of the last eight CONMEBOL Sudamericana ties in which they lost the first leg away. The first match of that run was precisely against Boca in 2007: they lost 2-1 at La Bombonera and won 1-0 at the MorumBIS to advance to the quarterfinals.
- Boca have just ended a run of 11 matches without an away win in knockout rounds of CONMEBOL competitions (6D 5L) after beating Recoleta 4-0. The last time they achieved consecutive wins in these stages was in the 2019 CONMEBOL Libertadores, where they eliminated a Brazilian opponent (Athletico Paranaense).
- 38% of the goals São Paulo scored at home in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana came within the first 10 minutes of play (3/8). The Tricolor opened the scoring in all of their home matches in the current edition of the competition and their latest goal came against Bolívar, at 17:17 of the match.
- Miguel Merentiel (Boca) has scored in three of the five matches he has played so far in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana. Only four Xeneize players have exceeded three goals in a single edition of the competition: Rodrigo Palacio (5 in 2005), Martín Palermo (4 in 2005), Andrés Chávez (4 in 2014) and Edinson Cavani (5 in 2024).
- São Paulo will play their 91st match in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana, surpassing Lanús (90) and sitting seven behind the all-time leader, LDU Quito (98). The Tricolor are also the club with the second-most goals in the competition, with 133.
Atlético Mineiro vs. Santos
Atlético Mineiro get back the player who has manufactured the most goals at their home. Tomás Cuello, suspended for the first leg at the Vila Belmiro, was directly involved in five of the seven goals the 'Galo' scored at home in this CONMEBOL Sudamericana, with four assists in the group stage and the goal against Red Bull Bragantino in the Round of 16. His return is the reigning runners-up's first card in trying to overturn the 0-2, and the Arena MRV is the second: Mineiro have lost just one of their last 29 home second legs in CONMEBOL competitions, with 20 wins and eight draws, and in that span eliminated Fluminense in the 2024 CONMEBOL Libertadores quarterfinals and Bragantino in the Round of 16 of this competition.
Santos, on the other hand, travel with a lead that has almost always been enough. The 'Peixe' went through in 12 of the last 13 CONMEBOL competition ties in which they won the first leg at home, including two eliminations of Brazilian sides in this competition, São Paulo in 2004 and Cruzeiro in 2006, and Cuca's side have gone three straight away matches in the edition without ever being behind. In the first leg, Willian Arão, the midfielder converted into a center-back, and Christian Oliva scored the goals; Gabigol assisted both and reached nine direct goal contributions, five goals and four assists, the most in the edition.
Atlético Mineiro in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: results, squad and schedule
The Vila Belmiro was end-to-end, with Mineiro dominating possession and Santos striking. Eduardo Domínguez's side played without Cuello, without Everson, who has a fractured foot, and without Neymar, injured and watching from a box, and finished with nine shots to 13. Gonzalo Escobar, the Santos full-back, was the player who completed the most ball carries into the opposition box among all those who played the first legs of these quarterfinals, with four.
The precedent Mineiro need to overturn is a heavy one: only three teams that lost the first leg of a CONMEBOL Sudamericana quarterfinal by two or more goals have managed to turn the tie around in the entire history of the competition. The 'Galo', who reached the final last year and lost it on penalties to Lanús, are looking to become the fourth.
Santos in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: results, squad and schedule
Match details:
Stadium: Arena MRV, Belo Horizonte
Date and time: Wednesday, September 16, 7:00 PM (Argentina time)
Referee: Facundo Tello (Argentina)
VAR: Hernán Mastrangelo (Argentina)
The match in numbers:
- Gonzalo Escobar (Santos) was the player who completed the most ball carries into the opposition box (4) among all those who took part in the first legs of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana quarterfinals.
- Santos have gone three consecutive away matches without being behind in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana. Among the teams that have played more than two matches in this edition of the competition, the Peixe have the third-lowest average of minutes spent trailing away from home (8.4), after Macará (4.6) and River (0).
- Santos advanced in 12 of the last 13 CONMEBOL competition ties in which they won the first leg at home, including two eliminations of Brazilian opponents in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana: São Paulo in the 2004 Round of 16 and Cruzeiro in the 2006 second round.
- Atlético Mineiro have lost just one of the last 29 home second legs they have played in CONMEBOL competitions (20W 8D). In that span, they have racked up five wins and two draws against Brazilian opponents, advancing in the two most recent cases: they eliminated Fluminense in the 2024 CONMEBOL Libertadores quarterfinals and Red Bull Bragantino in the Round of 16 of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana.
- Tomás Cuello (Atlético Mineiro) was directly involved in five of the seven goals Atlético Mineiro scored at home in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana, contributing four assists in the group stage and a goal in their last home match against RB Bragantino. The Galo player was unable to play in the first leg of this tie due to suspension.
Montevideo City Torque vs. Cienciano
Two unbeaten records that cannot both survive. Montevideo City Torque have never lost at home in the history of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana: six wins and three draws in nine matches, a mark that only Chapecoense and Atlético Goianiense hold over more games. Cienciano, for their part, have never been eliminated in CONMEBOL competitions after winning the first leg of a tie, with six previous cases, one of them against a Uruguayan side: Montevideo Wanderers, in the qualifying round of the 2008 CONMEBOL Libertadores. On Thursday, at the Estadio Centenario, one of the two statistics will fall.
The 'Papá' arrive with the 2-0 from Cusco and the backing of a night of absolute dominance. Cristian Souza, the edition's top assist provider with five, scored his first goal in CONMEBOL competitions in the 28th minute, from a Neri Bandiera cross, and Maximiliano Amondarain, the Uruguayan defender who passed through 14 clubs before finding his place in Peru, sealed the result with a shot from distance before the break.
Cienciano in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: results, squad and schedule
Cienciano also had 31 shots, at least double any other team in the first legs of these quarterfinals, and 12 of those were on target, one more than their entire total as visitors in the edition. With the oldest starting eleven they have fielded in the whole competition, Horacio Melgarejo's side also have a stat from history backing them: they have gone through 100% of the knockout ties in which they won their home match, ten out of ten.
Torque, coached by Marcelo Méndez, have a strength that did not show up in Cusco. They are the team with the best shot conversion in the competition since the start of the group stage, with 15.2% of their shots turned into goals, 14 of 92, and the first leg against Cienciano was the only match of the edition in which they failed to score. Gary Kagelmacher, their captain, cleared a goal off the line in the first half, and Franco Torgnascioli was tested from the start.
Montevideo City Torque in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: results, squad and schedule
Match details:
Stadium: Centenario, Montevideo
Date and time: Thursday, September 17, 9:30 PM (Argentina time)
Referee: Maximiliano Ramírez (Argentina)
VAR: Silvio Trucco (Argentina)
The match in numbers:
- Cienciano had at least double the shots (31) of any other team in the first legs of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana quarterfinals (Independiente Santa Fe and Vasco, with 15). 12 of those shots were on target, one more than their entire total as visitors in this edition of the competition (11 in five matches).
- Maximiliano Amondarain and Neri Bandiera, of Cienciano, were the only two players to have a direct goal involvement immediately after a ball carry in the first legs of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana quarterfinals. The defender scored after a carry, while the forward provided an assist following that action.
- City Torque have still never lost at home in the history of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana, with six wins and three draws after nine matches. Only Chapecoense (10 matches) and Atlético Goianiense (11 matches) have played more games in the competition without losing at home so far.
- Cienciano have never been eliminated in CONMEBOL competitions when they won the first leg of a tie, with six previous successful cases. One of those ties was against a Uruguayan opponent, when they knocked out Montevideo Wanderers in the qualifying round of the 2008 CONMEBOL Libertadores.
- City Torque remain the team with the best shot conversion since the start of the group stage of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana, having scored with 15.2% of their shots (14/92). The first leg against Cienciano was the only match of this edition of the competition in which they failed to score.
