Fluminense vs Palmeiras meet in Libertadores semifinal first leg
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Fluminense and Palmeiras met at the Maracana on Oct 14. It was the first leg of the Copa Libertadores semifinal.
- The second leg takes place in Sao Paulo on Oct 21. CONMEBOL set the date.
- Palmeiras chased a fourth Libertadores title, according to OneFootball. The club finished as runners-up in 2025.
Fluminense and Palmeiras met in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores semifinal. The match took place at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro on Oct 14. The winner of the two-leg tie earns a place in the final.
Rive News could not verify the final score from confirmed reports at publication time. This article does not state a score. It explains what was at stake, who took part, and what comes next.
What happened
The first leg took place at the Maracana on Wednesday, Oct 14. Kickoff was 9:30 PM Brasilia time, according to Sporting News. Argentine referee Facundo Tello took charge of the match.
Tello is 44 years old and comes from Bahia Blanca in Argentina. He joined the FIFA international referee list in 2019, according to Sporting News. He refereed three matches at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
One of those matches was the quarterfinal between Morocco and Portugal. Morocco won that match 1-0, according to Sporting News. Tello also refereed the 2024 Libertadores final between Atletico-MG and Botafogo.
That final took place in Buenos Aires, according to Sporting News. He also refereed the 2025 semifinal between LDU and Palmeiras. Tello was also picked to work at the 2026 World Cup.
His assistants were Juan Pablo Belatti and Gabriel Chade. Nazareno Arasa served as the fourth official, according to Sporting News. Silvio Trucco worked as the video assistant referee, known as VAR.
Lucas Novelli served as the assistant video referee, known as AVAR.
Fluminense played the first leg at home in Rio. Coach Marcao rotated his squad days before the match. The club rested key players in a 1-0 derby defeat to Flamengo.
That defeat came on Sunday, according to Sports Mole. Fluminense had beaten Coritiba 4-0 in the league match before that. Thiago Silva and Hulk had their minutes managed against Flamengo.
German Cano was still recovering from a thigh injury. He was not expected to start, according to Sports Mole. John Kennedy stayed out with a serious knee injury.
Rene was working back from an ankle problem. Alisson was also dealing with a hip injury, according to Sports Mole. Canobbio and Serna competed for a starting role on the wing.
Ganso and Lucho Acosta were options in attacking midfield. Sports Mole listed a possible Fluminense lineup before kickoff. It included Fabio, Guga, Thiago Silva, and Millan.
Guilherme Arana, Hercules, Martinelli, and Ganso also appeared on the list. Savarino, Hulk, and Serna completed the possible lineup. These were possible lineups, not confirmed starting teams.
Palmeiras arrived after a 4-1 win over Corinthians in the Paulista derby. Agustin Giay scored twice in that derby, according to Sports Mole. Alexander Barboza also scored, and an own goal completed the scoring.
An own goal means a team scores into its own net. Palmeiras had beaten Bahia 1-0 in the match before the derby.
Coach Abel Ferreira missed the first leg through suspension. He was dismissed during the quarterfinal tie against LDU Quito. Assistant coach Joao Martins was expected to lead the team from the touchline.
Ramon Sosa was a doubt after a thigh injury in the derby. Paulinho was still building fitness after a long spell out. Giay's two-goal derby show strengthened his case to start at right-back.
Flaco Lopez and Vitor Roque were expected to lead the attack. Jhon Arias was also in contention to face his former club. Sports Mole listed a possible Palmeiras lineup too.
It included Miguel, Giay, Gomez, Murilo, and Piquerez. Freitas, Pereira, and Evangelista formed the midfield. Arias, Lopez, and Roque led the attack.
Sports Mole predicted a 1-0 Fluminense win before kickoff. That was a prediction, not the confirmed result.
Why it matters
The tie decides one place in the Libertadores final. CONMEBOL runs the Libertadores for club teams in South America. Both clubs come from Brazil, so the tie was an all-Brazilian semifinal.
The first leg opened the fight for a place in the final. Palmeiras chased a fourth Libertadores title, according to OneFootball. The club won the title in 1999, 2020, and 2021, according to OneFootball.
Palmeiras finished as runners-up in 2025, according to OneFootball. A runner-up is the team that finishes second.
Fluminense reached the semifinal by beating Platense in the quarterfinal. Fluminense won the home leg 2-0, according to Sports Mole. The club then lost the away leg 2-1 in Argentina.
Fluminense advanced 3-2 on aggregate, according to Sports Mole. Aggregate means the combined score over two legs.
Palmeiras reached the semifinal through a penalty shootout against LDU Quito. A shootout is a set of penalty kicks that breaks a tie. Palmeiras had led by two goals, but LDU struck twice to force penalties.
Carlos Miguel saved two efforts in the shootout, according to OneFootball. Those saves sent Palmeiras through to the last four.
Tello had refereed eight Palmeiras matches before this semifinal. Palmeiras won four of those matches, drew three, and lost one. A draw means neither team wins the match.
The most recent one was a 1-0 Palmeiras win over Cerro Porteno. That win came in the 2026 Libertadores, according to Sporting News.
One past match in Tello's career drew wide attention. In 2022, he refereed the Trofeo de Campeones final in Argentina. The final pitted Boca Juniors against Racing, according to Sporting News.
The match ended with ten players sent off. Seven came from Boca and three came from Racing.
Boca coach Hugo Ibarra was also sent off. Boca fell to six players on the field, below the minimum the rules allow.
Tello ended the match early, according to Sporting News.
The last league meeting between the clubs was also close. Fluminense beat Palmeiras 3-2 in that August match, according to Sports Mole. Each club had won one of their two earlier Libertadores meetings.
Boca Juniors and Vasco met in the Sudamericana semifinal first leg. Bragantino faced Cruzeiro in the Brasileirao Serie A.
What happens next
The second leg takes place at Nubank Parque in Sao Paulo. The match is set for Wednesday, Oct 21, according to OneFootball. Kickoff is 9:30 PM Brasilia time, the same time as the first leg.
CONMEBOL set both dates and kickoff times, according to OneFootball. The winner of the tie moves on to the final. OneFootball reported that TV Globo and GeTV would show both legs.
Fluminense must now prepare for an away match in Sao Paulo. Palmeiras will try to win the tie in Sao Paulo.
The tie ends on Oct 21 in Sao Paulo. One team will reach the final. The other team will go home.
Related stories
Why Is Altitude Sickness Worse for Some People?
Altitude sickness hits some people harder because of genetics, ascent speed, and prior history, not fitness level. Here is what raises risk
Why Do You Get Blisters When Hiking and How to Prevent Them
Friction plus moisture plus heat equals a blister. Learn why hiking breeds all three, and the boots, socks, and tape system that keeps
How to choose hiking boots for beginners: fit, features, and break-in
Beginners should buy for fit first: snug everywhere, tight nowhere, with a thumb's width at the toes. Here is how to size, test,