The time has come to know the identities of the teams that will have the honor of playing for the 2022 Copa Libertadores title. Last week, Athletico Paranaense and Flamengo claimed leads from the first legs of their respective semi-final ties, but everything could change when the return fixtures begin this week.
At a glance, it seems that defending champions Palmeiras have what it takes to turn things around, but Paranaense has shown their worth and if they can hold on to their current lead, it would be no surprise to see them as title contenders. In the other fixture, Flamengo seem to be ready to reach their second title match in three years, but Vélez will try to save their pride after a disastrous performance last week.
Without further ado, let's have a look at the first legs of the semi-finals set to begin on Tuesday evening.
Palmeiras vs Athletico-PR
(First leg result: Athletico-PR 1-0 Palmeiras)
The defending champions are now against the ropes, but they will have the support of their home crowd to try and turn the tides in their favor when they face Athletico-PR on Tuesday evening. Palmeiras had not lost a single game in the competition until last week's match, and with three games in a row without a win, Abel Ferreira's men will have to find their goalscoring boots once more to reach a third consecutive title match.
On the other hand, Athletico-PR have bounced back from a disappointing group stage, where they lost two of their away games and jeopardized their spot in the next round as a result of those games. Nevertheless, Luiz Felipe Scolari's men seem ready to reach their second-ever Copa Libertadores final, and their recent performances on the road give them hope for success, since they have not conceded in any of their KO stage matches when playing away from home.
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Flamengo vs Vélez Sarsfield
(First leg result: Vélez Sarsfield 0-4 Flamengo)
The red and black side is closer than ever to reach one more title clash in this competition, as their four-nil win last week leaves them in pole position to reach the final.
Vélez's season and hopes for a final almost came to an abrupt end due to their poor display from last week, where a hat-trick by Pedro and one more goal by Everton Ribeiro sealed the deal for the Rubro-Negro at José Amalfitani Stadium. Now, the team led by Alexander Medina need to pull off a stunnig result away from home and score at least four times without conceding to force a penalty shootout.
The good news for Vélez is that they have already managed to accomplish such a feat in this edition, when they won their clash against Estudiantes with a four-nil score to reach the KO stage. The bad news of course have to do with their rivals on Wednesday, since they have not conceded more than two goals in a game during this Copa Libertadores edition.
Match details, result and original broadcast info
Flamengo 2 - 1 Vélez Sarsfield
September 7, 2022 8:30pmEstadio Jornalista Mário Filho (Maracanã) (Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro)This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
For more info on the tournament, make sure you can visit our dedicated Copa Libertadores website here.
