BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA – SEPTEMBER 17: Gustavo Gomez of Palmeiras scores the team’s first goal during the Copa CONMEBOL Libertadores 2025 Quarter-final first-leg match between River Plate and Palmeiras at Estadio Más Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti on September 17, 2025 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Photo by Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images)
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Palmeiras defeated River Plate 2-1 in Buenos Aires on Wednesday night. The Brazilian side will host the second leg of the Copa Libertadores quarter-final in São Paulo next week.
Clash Of South American Giants
This is the biggest clash in the Copa Libertadores quarter-finals. Palmeiras has won three Copa Libertadores titles, including back-to-back trophies in 2020 and 2021, and River Plate has won the trophy four times, with the last victory coming against rivals Boca Juniors in the 2018 final.
Palmeiras’ forward #09 Vitor Roque (L) and River Plate’s Chilean defender #17 Paulo Diaz (R) fight for the ball during the Copa Libertadores quarterfinal first leg football match between Argentina’s River Plate and Brazil’s Palmeiras at the MAS Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires on September 17, 2025. (Photo by Juan MABROMATA / AFP) (Photo by JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty Images)
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Both teams have huge fan bases in their respective nations and both are currently competing for their domestic league as well as the continental title.
River Plate hosted the first leg at the incredible Estadio Monumental, which hosted the 1978 World Cup final and is now the biggest stadium in South America.
Fast Start Takes Palmeiras To Victory
Gustavo Gómez opened the scoring for visitors Palmeiras after just six minutes of play. The team in green silenced a sea of red and white with a sucker-punch of a goal from a set-play. New signing from Fulham Andreas Pereira provided the assist and the defender headed home at the back post.
Palmeiras completely dominated the first half of the game. The home team couldn’t create a clear chance and this showed in the expected goals statistics with the away team leading the ‘xG’ 0.85 to 0.05 after 45 minutes.
Palmeiras hit the post from another first-half corner, but would double its lead after 41 minutes. José López fed former FC Barcelona player Vitor Roque a wonderful reverse pass. The Brazilian striker glided into the box and finished beautifully. It was 2-0 to the visitor at the break, but it could have been three or four.
Paulo Diaz of River Plate challenges for the ball with Vitor Roque of Palmeiras of Brazil just before scoring what becomes Palmeiras’ second goal during a quarterfinal match of the Copa Libertadores de America at the Estadio Mas Monumental Antonio V. Liberti in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on September 17, 2025. (Photo by Juan Manuel Baez/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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River Plate Is Still Alive
River Plate is still alive in this tie, just. Lucas Martínez Quarta and Juanfer Quintero came on for the host team at half-time. Both players would have big parts to play in the second period.
River Plate didn’t light up the game going forward in the second half, but it certainly sorted the defensive side of its game out. River restricted Palmeiras to just one shot and 0.02 xG in the second period.
Palmeiras’ goalkeeper #21 Weverton concedes a goal during the Copa Libertadores quarterfinal first leg football match between Argentina’s River Plate and Brazil’s Palmeiras at the MAS Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires on September 17, 2025. (Photo by Juan MABROMATA / AFP) (Photo by JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty Images)
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River had 14 shots of its own, but many of those came from outside the box as Palmeiras sat in and soaked up the pressure late in the game. Then in the 89th minute substitute Martínez Quarta took another pop from range and saw his strike deflect into the back of the net.
The crowd roared as River halved Palmeiras’ lead. It was a tough night for the hosts, and it could have been over. Yet, River Plate now travels to Brazil just one goal behind in the tie. Palmeiras is definitely the favourite to progress in the second leg but the Argentinian side has given itself a chance at victory.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/josephosullivan/2025/09/18/palmeiras-defeats-river-plate-in-epic-copa-libertadores-clash/
