After the draws registered in the first matches, Atlético Mineiro and Lanús have the advantage of defining the semifinals of the 2025 Copa Sudamericana as home teams this week.
Jorge Sampaoli's Galo achieved an agonizing equality (1-1), with a goal from their winger Dudu in added time, during their visit to Independiente del Valle in Quito last Tuesday.
Lanús, for its part, was able to qualify for the final last Thursday at the National Stadium in Santiago.
However, they wasted a 2-0 lead at halftime and were tied 2-2 by the University of Chile, who managed to save a point with a penalty converted by their captain, Charles Aránguiz, at minute 90+9.
In this way, both semifinals will be defined in Belo Horizonte on Tuesday and in the south of Buenos Aires on Thursday.
The winners will meet in Asunción on November 22 in the final of the Sudamericana, a trophy that all the semi-finalists, except Mineiro, have already lifted.
The tournament champion qualifies for the group stage of the 2026 Copa Libertadores and also for next year's Recopa Sudamericana.
Stalked by the loss of category in the Brazilian championship – they are thirteenth, five points ahead of Vitoria, the first team in the relegation zone – Atlético Mineiro is betting all its chips on winning the Sudamericana, a title that is missing from its record.
El Galo has never reached the semi-finals of the Sudamericana before. Their best performance had been in 2010 when they advanced to the quarterfinals.
Winning this unprecedented trophy would allow him to save the year and secure a place in the Libertadores 2026.
On Tuesday he showed a show of character and managed to survive the 2,850 meters of altitude in Quito.
“We have to play an extremely balanced match, because the rival is the absolute leader of Ecuadorian football, has many points and plays very well as a visitor,” said Argentine coach Jorge Sampaoli.
The Ecuadorian Matagigantes had taken the lead in the 11th minute with a penalty goal from Junior Sornoza, but at 90+2 minutes the tireless Hulk assisted Dudu and he scored the equalizer in extremis.
And although they will define the series this Tuesday at their home, the Arena MRV stadium in Belo Horizonte, they cannot be neglected because Del Valle has proven to be a dangerous visitor.
The Ecuadorian team, two-time champion of the Sudamericana (2019 and 2022) and already qualified for next year's Libertadores, once again demonstrated its bravery in the quarterfinals.
Indeed, after losing 2-0 in Quito against Once Caldas, he put on the Matagigantes suit and won in Manizales by the same score in the rematch and on penalties ended the dream of the “reborn” Dayro Moreno, the veteran Colombian striker (40 years old) who was living a second youth in the South American League.
“We are going to play face to face. We are going to dispute possession to find the paths to the goal,” warned Del Valle's coach, the Spanish Javier Rabanal.
Lanús, champion of the Sudamericana in 2013, could have sealed their qualification to the final in the first leg, but missed an unbeatable chance.
With two goals from their attacker Rodrigo Castillo, at 25 and 29 minutes, Granate had the University of Chile on the ropes in an empty National Stadium in Santiago.
He didn't know how to hit the knockout blow.
Then, the Chilean team, champion of the tournament in 2011 under the command of Sampaoli, achieved a heroic equality with goals from Lucas Di Yorio at 62 minutes and from Charles Aránguiz, from a penalty, at 90+9 minutes.
On Thursday, at the Ciudad de Lanús stadium, in the south of Buenos Aires, the second finalist of the Sudamericana will be decided.
“The tie is open and (the rematch) is going to be a difficult match. But we are going to be at home with our people,” said Mauricio Pellegrino, the coach of Lanús.
The U of Chile will once again not be able to count on its people due to the sanction (fourteen international matches without the presence of its fans) imposed by Conmebol for the violent clashes between its fans and those of Independiente de Avellaneda in August, in the second leg of the round of 16 played in Buenos Aires.
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