To reach the semi-finals, São Paulo must pull off a feat unseen in 22 years | OneFootball

São Paulo lost to LDU 2-0 in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores quarter-finals, this Thursday (18), and now they will have to overcome a two-goal deficit to at least take the match to penalties next week, at Morumbi.

To qualify for the semi-finals, however, Tricolor will need, above all, resilience. And to break a self-imposed taboo.

The last time São Paulo managed to qualify for the next phase of the Libertadores after losing the first leg by at least two goals was in 1993.

At that time, the Morumbi club lost the first leg of the round of 16 by the same 2-0 to Newell’s Old Boys, from Argentina, away from home. The opponent had been precisely the rival in the previous year's Libertadores final, when Tricolor lifted the title after a penalty shootout.

But they managed to turn the score around in the return leg, at home, winning 4-0 and continuing on the path to secure the bi of the continental competition.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.