A scoreless draw in Argentina was enough for Flamengo to secure their fifth-ever Copa Libertadores final appearance, overcoming a second-half red card against Racing on Wednesday.
Flamengo will compete in the Copa Libertadores final for the fifth time in its history, aiming for a fourth championship, Folha de S.Paulo reports. On Wednesday (29), the "rubro-negro" team managed to withstand pressure from Argentina's Racing. Even while playing with one less player from the 10-minute mark of the second half, Flamengo held on for a goalless draw, which was sufficient to proceed to the final match.
The Rio de Janeiro-based team, which won the title in 1981, 2019, and 2022, and was runner-up in 2021, successfully leveraged the advantage established in the first-leg game, according to Folha de S.Paulo. That match concluded with a 1-0 victory at Maracanã.
At the opponent's home stadium, Folha de S.Paulo noted that Flamengo spent a significant portion of the final half defending after Plata's expulsion, following a balanced first half. The forward was issued a red card for striking Rojo in the groin area.
Racing was unable to breach the "rubro-negro" defense despite this advantage, Folha de S.Paulo reported. The Argentine team primarily insisted on aerial plays, which almost always favored the players from the Brazilian side.
Inside the El Cilindro stadium in Avellaneda, the pressure from the home supporters, who created an impressive display, was ultimately not enough to propel the Argentine team toward a win, according to Folha de S.Paulo.
The match, which was scheduled for 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time), had its start postponed until 9:50 p.m. The delay happened because the Flamengo delegation encountered heavy traffic in the city and also experienced difficulty accessing the stadium due to a large gathering of Racing supporters, Folha de S.Paulo detailed.
At the time originally set for the kickoff, the referee also had to wait several more minutes. This was necessary until the smoke from the flares used by the crowd when the teams entered the field dissipated.
When the game finally began, the home team did little to capitalize on the atmosphere they had created, Folha de S.Paulo observed. Besides relying excessively on aerial strategies, they faced an inspired night from goalkeeper Rossi, who was well-positioned on the few occasions the Argentine players hit the target.
Having qualified for the final, Flamengo will now await the determination of its opponent. In the other semifinal, Palmeiras and LDU from Equador are set to face each other this Thursday (30) at Allianz Parque in São Paulo. The Ecuadorian team won the first-leg match 3-0, as reported by Folha de S.Paulo.
