- Gabriel Barbosa reached 100 goals in a Santos shirt with the equalizer and Willian Arão completed the comeback from a Neymar corner, with the 10 providing two assists.
- Franco Posse had put Macará ahead in the 5th minute; the tie will be decided on Thursday, August 20, at altitude in Ambato.
Santos beat Macará 2-1 at Vila Belmiro to take the first leg of their CONMEBOL Sudamericana Round of 16 tie. The 'Peixe' had to overturn Franco Posse's early blow on a night full of symbolism: Gabriel Barbosa reached 100 goals in a Santos shirt with the equalizer and Willian Arão sealed the win from a Neymar corner.
The opening minutes were a warning of what the visitors had come to the São Paulo coast to find. In the 5th minute, Mateo Viera broke down the right flank and drove in a low cross that Franco Posse, with a striker's instinct, turned home at the edge of the six-yard box. The unbeaten Group A leaders had struck first, forcing Cuca's side to play against the clock from early on.
The 'Peixe''s response was a territorial monologue that found its reward at the end of the first half, though with two setbacks along the way: Gabriel Menino and Gabriel Bontempo were both forced off injured before the break. The play of the night came in the 44th minute: Neymar produced a moment of brilliance with a first-time, left-footed assist over the defense that left Gabigol facing goal. With a subtle touch over the goalkeeper, the number 9 made it 1-1 and reached a monumental milestone: his 100th goal in a Santos shirt, at the club where he made his debut.
The second half was a story on repeat: Gabigol found the net twice more, but both celebrations were cut short by offside calls. The insistence paid off in the 31st minute of the second half, once again stamped by a set piece: Neymar placed his corner right onto Willian Arão, who finished with his right foot; Rodrigo Rodríguez got a hand to it, but only from inside the goal. The confirmation sparked an argument between Gabigol and the Uruguayan goalkeeper while it was being determined whether the ball had crossed the line, and Kevin Ortega booked one player from each side.
The numbers behind Santos' dominance were eloquent: 71% possession and 11 shots (7 on target) against the visitors' 6. But Macará head back to Ecuador with some relief after Rodríguez, in the dying seconds, tipped away a Neymar free kick that was heading for his top-right corner — a save that keeps Guillermo Sanguinetti's side alive for the second leg.
The tie remains open, with a scenario that fuels 'El Ídolo's' hopes: the 2,500 meters of altitude in Ambato, where Macará will try to turn around a series that Santos will defend with the slimmest of leads and with their brightest partnership — the 10 and the 9 — in full flow. Everything will be decided on Thursday, August 20, from 7:00 PM, at Estadio Bellavista in Ambato.
The goal was the first Mirassol had conceded at home in this edition of the CONMEBOL Libertadores. Their home record had remained intact throughout the Group Stage, but Liga managed to breach it in the first knockout match ever played by the São Paulo side in the history of the competition.
The two teams will now return to a venue they both know well. During the Group Stage, each side won at home, with Liga de Quito claiming a 2-0 victory over Mirassol at the Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado. They will meet there again next Thursday, August 20, this time with no margin for error: after the 1-1 draw in Brazil, the winner will advance to the CONMEBOL Libertadores Quarterfinals.
O jogo em números
- Eduardo se tornou o primeiro jogador do Mirassol a marcar mais de um gol na CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026 (hoje contra a LDU Quito e, na Fase de Grupos, diante do Always Ready). O meio-campista marcou nas últimas quatro edições de torneios CONMEBOL que disputou: Libertadores 2026 (2 pelo Mirassol) e 2024 (2 pelo Botafogo), CONMEBOL Sudamericana 2025 (1 pelo Cruzeiro) e 2023 (2 pelo Botafogo).
- A LDU Quito é a primeira equipe visitante a ter mais de cinco grandes chances de gol em uma partida da CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026 (6 hoje contra o Mirassol).
- Eduardo (36 anos e 300 dias) se tornou o jogador mais velho a marcar em uma partida da fase eliminatória da CONMEBOL Libertadores por uma equipe brasileira desde Thiago Silva, em agosto de 2024, pelo Fluminense (39 anos e 333 dias).
- Excluindo as fases preliminares, os três gols de Michael Estrada (LDU Quito) na CONMEBOL Libertadores foram contra adversários brasileiros: Mirassol, hoje, nas Oitavas de Final; São Paulo, nas Quartas de Final de 2025; e Botafogo, na Fase de Grupos de 2024.
- Mirassol e LDU Quito registraram números semelhantes em posse de bola (50% a 50%) e finalizações (13 a 14), mas os Albos tiveram mais que o dobro de grandes chances de gol (6 a 2) e de gols esperados (1,9 xG a 0,7 xG).
- Edson Carioca registrou hoje a primeira participação direta em gol de sua carreira em torneios CONMEBOL (assistência para Eduardo), em sua quinta partida nessas competições — todas pela Libertadores 2026 com o Mirassol.
The match in numbers
- Eduardo became the first Mirassol player to score more than once in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores (today against LDU Quito and against Always Ready in the Group Stage). The midfielder has scored in each of the last four CONMEBOL tournament editions he has played in: Libertadores 2026 (2 for Mirassol) and 2024 (2 for Botafogo), CONMEBOL Sudamericana 2025 (1 for Cruzeiro) and 2023 (2 for Botafogo).
- LDU Quito became the first away team to create more than five big chances in a 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores match (6 today against Mirassol).
- Eduardo (36 years and 300 days) became the oldest player to score in a CONMEBOL Libertadores knockout-stage match for a Brazilian club since Thiago Silva did so for Fluminense in August 2024 (39 years and 333 days).
- Excluding preliminary rounds, all three of Michael Estrada’s CONMEBOL Libertadores goals for LDU Quito have come against Brazilian opposition: Mirassol today in the Round of 16, São Paulo in the 2025 Quarterfinals and Botafogo in the 2024 Group Stage.
- Mirassol and LDU Quito recorded similar figures for possession (50%-50%) and shots (13-14), but Los Albos had more than twice as many big chances (6-2) and more than twice the expected goals (1.9 xG to 0.7 xG).
- Edson Carioca recorded the first direct goal involvement of his career in CONMEBOL competitions today (an assist for Eduardo), in his fifth appearance in these tournaments — all of them for Mirassol in the 2026 Libertadores.
El partido en datos
- Santos alcanzó una racha de cuatro victorias seguidas en una misma edición de torneos CONMEBOL por primera vez desde la Libertadores 2020 (4V). Además, las dos más recientes fueron tras recibir el primer gol (4-2 vs UCV en los playoffs y 2-1 vs Macará hoy en los octavos).
- Neymar, de Santos, es el tercer jugador con más asistencias de remate (21) y el que más grandes chances creó (6 – como Francisco González y Cristian Souza) en la CONMEBOL Sudamericana 2026, pero solo hoy consiguió sus primeras asistencias en el torneo (para los goles de Gabriel Barbosa y Willian Arão).
- Gabriel Barbosa igualó su máxima racha goleadora en una misma edición de torneos CONMEBOL: cuatro partidos seguidos anotando con Santos en la Sudamericana 2026 y con Flamengo en la CONMEBOL Libertadores 2021. Además, fue su gol de número 100 con el Peixe.
- Jugando de central, el mediocampista Willian Arão lideró a Santos en disparos (3) hoy ante Macará. Todos sus remates fueron en situaciones de balón parado, incluyendo el gol que le dio la victoria al Peixe.
- Contando la Liga Pro EcuaBet y la CONMEBOL Sudamericana, no hay jugador de la principal categoría ecuatoriana que haya participado en más goles que Franco Posse en 2026, de Macará (14 goles y 4 asistencias), seis más que el siguiente en la lista (Ronie Carrillo, 10 goles y 2 asistencias).
The match in numbers
- Santos recorded four consecutive wins in a single edition of a CONMEBOL competition for the first time since the 2020 Libertadores (4W). Their two most recent victories also came after conceding the opening goal: 4-2 against UCV in the Playoffs and 2-1 against Macará today in the Round of 16.
- Santos’ Neymar ranks third for shot assists (21) and joint-first for big chances created (6, alongside Francisco González and Cristian Souza) in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana, but only today did he register his first assists of the tournament, setting up Gabriel Barbosa and Willian Arão.
- Gabriel Barbosa matched his longest scoring streak in a single edition of a CONMEBOL competition: four consecutive matches with a goal for Santos in the 2026 Sudamericana, equalling his run with Flamengo in the 2021 CONMEBOL Libertadores. It was also his 100th goal for Peixe.
- Playing at centre-back, midfielder Willian Arão led Santos in shots (3) against Macará today. All three of his attempts came from set-piece situations, including the goal that secured the victory for Peixe.
- Across the LigaPro EcuaBet and the CONMEBOL Sudamericana, no player in Ecuador’s top flight has been directly involved in more goals in 2026 than Macará’s Franco Posse (14 goals and 4 assists), six more than the next player on the list, Ronie Carrillo (10 goals and 2 assists).
