Palmeiras faces Cerro Porteño in Copa Libertadores knockout stage

What Happened

Palmeiras begins its Copa Libertadores round of 16 campaign at home against Paraguay’s Cerro Porteño on Wednesday. This is the third encounter between the two clubs in the 2026 competition, with a fourth match scheduled for the following week in Paraguay. The winner of this series will advance to face either Mirassol or LDU in the next round.

Background

The two teams previously met during the group stage of the Copa Libertadores. Cerro Porteño secured a 1-0 victory at the Nubank Parque in Sao Paulo, while the match in Asunción ended in a 1-1 draw. Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira has expressed concerns about facing defensively oriented opponents, noting difficulties in breaking down teams that play with a low block and a deep defense. Palmeiras is currently leading the Brazilian league but recently drew 0-0 at home against Internacional.

Key Facts

• The match is the first leg of the Copa Libertadores round of 16.
• The game will be played at the Nubank Parque in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
• Palmeiras and Cerro Porteño also met in the group stage of the 2026 Copa Libertadores.
• In the group stage, Cerro Porteño won 1-0 in Sao Paulo, and the match in Asunción ended 1-1.
• Cerro Porteño finished as group leaders with 13 points in the Copa Libertadores group stage.
• Palmeiras finished second in their Copa Libertadores group.
• The referee for the match will be Gustavo Tejera from Uruguay.
• Palmeiras' captain Gustavo Gómez is available but will start on the bench.