- Vasco da Gama and Independiente Santa Fe will settle a closely fought tie at São Januário after playing out a goalless draw in Bogotá.
- The Rio de Janeiro side will look to extend an unbeaten record that gives them confidence ahead of the tie: they have never lost at home to Colombian opposition in CONMEBOL competitions.
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).
