Estudiantes vs Flamengo - prediction, team news, lineups

Estudiantes volition invited Flamengo to the Estadio Jorge Luis Hirschi successful La Plata connected Thursday for the archetypal limb of their Copa Libertadores semi-final tie, with the hosts looking to marque location vantage number against the reigning Brazilian heavyweights.

Flamengo caput into the contention connected the backmost of a triumph implicit Fluminense that preserved their pb astatine the apical of the Brasileirao, portion Estudiantes were held to a gully by Central Cordoba and stay extracurricular the Clausura playoff qualification zone. This volition beryllium the 5th gathering betwixt the sides since September 2025, with Flamengo having edged past year's quarter-final necktie connected penalties, and some teams present look a caller trial with antiaircraft absences for the Argentine broadside and cardinal midfielders missing for the visitors.

Match preview

Estudiantes get astatine the semi-final signifier with a much coagulated grounds successful the Libertadores than connected the home front. In the Clausura, they person accumulated 14 points from 12 matches and are inactive attempting to adjacent successful connected the qualification zone, pursuing a tally that besides included disappointments successful the Supercopa Internacional and the Copa Argentina.

In the 2-2 gully with Central Cordoba successful the latest round, the Pincha showed the quality to respond but erstwhile again struggled with antiaircraft lapses. After conceding a turnaround successful conscionable 2 minutes, they regained power and created opportunities to triumph but squandered important chances successful the 2nd half.

Their continental run has been much consistent, with conscionable 1 decision successful 10 matches starring up to the quarter-finals. The broadside progressed successful the circular of 16 aft drafting with Universidad Catolica successful La Plata and winning 3-0 successful Chile, demonstrating an quality to vie with assurance distant from home.

In the quarter-finals, Estudiantes eliminated Corinthians with awesome antiaircraft efficiency. After a 1-1 gully successful La Plata, Alexis Castro scored the winning extremity successful a 1-0 triumph successful Itaquera, portion the antiaircraft portion conceded conscionable 3 shots from wrong the box.

Flamengo get successful good form, sustained by greater consistency crossed the Brasileirao and Libertadores. Their latest triumph extended their unbeaten tally to 9 matches, comprising 7 wins and 2 draws during that period.

Without Giorgian de Arrascaeta, Jorge Carrascal and Lucas Paqueta person taken connected greater work successful the originative department. The derby triumph demonstrated however the brace tin alternate roles, with Paqueta dropping deeper to assistance build-up play and Carrascal attacking much precocious spaces to summation their beingness successful the box.

In the Libertadores, the Rubro-Negro boast awesome numbers, with 7 wins and 3 draws successful 10 matches starring up to the quarter-finals. The broadside person conceded conscionable 5 goals successful the tourney and person besides competed good distant from home, combining antiaircraft solidity with the quality to accelerate erstwhile spaces unfastened up.

The triumph implicit Independiente del Valle underlined this quality. Flamengo won 2-0 successful Quito contempt aggravated unit and, successful the 2nd leg, responded aft falling down and being reduced to 10 men, with Arrascaeta scoring the equaliser that sealed the necktie astatine 3-1 connected aggregate.

The caller head-to-head grounds reinforces the signifier of intimately contested encounters. In the 2025 quarter-finals, Flamengo won 2-1 astatine the Maracana, but Estudiantes returned the favour with a constrictive triumph successful La Plata and took the necktie to penalties, wherever the Brazilians prevailed 4-2 acknowledgment to 2 saves from Agustin Rossi.

In the radical signifier of this edition, determination was a 1-1 gully successful Argentina and a 1-0 Flamengo triumph successful Rio, meaning each 4 caller meetings person been separated by nary much than 1 extremity successful mean time.

Estudiantes Copa Libertadores form:

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Estudiantes signifier (all competitions):

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Flamengo Copa Libertadores form:

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Flamengo signifier (all competitions):

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Team News

Estudiantes volition beryllium forced into important changes astatine the back, with Tomas Palacios and Leandro Gonzalez Pirez some suspended. Marcos Rojo, signed connected October 9, is expected to signifier the centre-back pairing alongside Santiago Nunez, with Gaston Benedetti connected the near and Eros Mancuso occupying the right.

Gabriel Neves and Jalil Elias stay unavailable, portion Eric Meza is inactive a doubt. Alexis Castro is besides a interest owed to a lower-back ailment but remains successful contention to start; successful attack, Guido Carrillo and Tiago Palacios look to beryllium the main options up front, with Joaquin Correa, formerly of Botafogo, disposable arsenic an alternative.

For Flamengo, Jorginho is suspended pursuing his reddish paper successful the quarter-final 2nd leg, portion Arrascaeta remains sidelined aft undergoing wrist surgery. Ayrton Lucas and Evertton Araujo person made advancement successful their recoveries but are not expected to question to Argentina.

Danilo volition besides miss retired aft sustaining 2 fractures to his jaw successful a collision with goalkeeper Fabio. The defender required country and is expected to beryllium absent for astir 1 month, reducing Leonardo Jardim’s options erstwhile assembling the antiaircraft setup.

Saul Niguez emerges arsenic the starring campaigner to spouse Erick Pulgar, with Lucas Paqueta operating further forward. Pedro remains successful contention for a starting spot starring the attack, though Bruno Henrique besides features arsenic an alternative, portion Nicolas de la Cruz is different beardown enactment to supply a antithetic dynamic successful midfield.

Estudiantes imaginable starting lineup:

Fernando Muslera; Eros Mancuso, Santiago Nunez, Marcos Rojo and Gaston Benedetti; Ezequiel Piovi and Alexis Castro; Baltasar Rodriguez, Tiago Palacios and Joaquin Tobio Burgos; Guido Carrillo. Manager: Alexander Medina.

Flamengo imaginable starting lineup:

Agustin Rossi; Guillermo Varela, Leo Ortiz, Leo Pereira and Alex Sandro; Erick Pulgar, Saul Niguez and Lucas Paqueta; Jorge Carrascal, Samuel Lino and Pedro. Manager: Leonardo Jardim.

We say: Estudiantes 1-1 Flamengo

Estudiantes person the tools to disrupt Flamengo’s build-up play successful La Plata, peculiarly done a precocious property and extortion of the borderline of the box. The changes successful Flamengo’s midfield could trim their aboriginal fluidity and marque the contention much balanced than the quality successful prime mightiness suggest.

On the different hand, the idiosyncratic prime wrong the Rio club’s squad offers pathways to respond adjacent during spells of reduced control. The projection points towards an evenly matched encounter, leaving the result wholly unfastened heading into the 2nd limb astatine the Maracana.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.