All Still to Play For As Copa Libertadores Stage One Qualifiers Enter Second Legs | OneFootball

The 2026 Copa Libertadores got underway last week, with six sides beginning their journeys in the competition, all hoping to reach the group stage.

This week, attention turns to the second legs, with each tie finely poised and qualification still very much in the balance.

The Strongest v Deportivo Táchira

Tuesday evening saw The Strongest take on Deportivo Táchira of Venezuela, two sides more accustomed to Copa Libertadores football compared to the other teams in this qualifying round.

It was The Strongest who dominated proceedings, enjoying 78% of the ball and registering 26 shots, nine of which were on target.

However, despite that control, their breakthrough came from the penalty spot, with Jaime Arrascaita converting to give the hosts the lead.

Yet, for all The Strongest’s dominance, Deportivo Tachira struck back moments later.

The equaliser came from a corner, as a delivery from Jairo Villalpando was met by Carlos Calzadilla, who volleyed the ball into the back of the net, catching The Strongest off guard.

However, Víctor Ábrego ensured The Strongest would edge the first leg 2-1, converting from the penalty spot to give his side a narrow one-goal advantage ahead of the return trip to Venezuela.

With just a slender lead to protect, the second leg promises to be an intriguing contest.

The winner of this tie will go on to face Deportes Tolima of Colombia in Qualification Round two.

2 de Mayo v Alianza Lima

Wednesday evening saw 2 de Mayo of Paraguay take on Alianza Lima, with the Paraguayan side making their debut in the competition.

Second of Mayo earned qualification after reaching the final of the Copa Paraguay, a route that would normally see the winners qualify for the Copa Libertadores.

However, the Copa Paraguay champions were General Caballero JLM. Due to their relegation from the top division, they were ineligible to compete in the Libertadores, which opened the door for 2 de Mayo to take their place in the competition.

In contrast, their opponents, Alianza Lima, are featuring in their 32nd Copa Libertadores campaign. Last season, they reached the group stage but were eliminated after finishing third, dropping into the Copa Sudamericana, where they went on to reach the quarter-finals before being knocked out by Universidad de Chile.

Their start to the 2026 Copa Libertadores has not gone to plan, as they suffered a surprise 1-0 defeat away to the Paraguayans.

It was a lovely strike from Diego Acosta from the edge of the box, as he thunderbolted the ball off the underside of the bar and into the back of the Alianza net, sealing 2 de Mayo’s first-ever goal and first-ever victory in the Copa Libertadores in dramatic fashion.

The side, who play in blue and white stripes similar to those of QPR and Reading, will now be hoping they can cause another upset in the return leg.

Both teams were in domestic action at the weekend. The Peruvian side picked up a 2-1 victory over Comerciantes Unidos, while the Paraguayan outfit earned a goalless draw against Cerro Porteno, one of the country’s biggest clubs.

The winners of this tie will take on Sporting Cristal of Peru, meaning we could see an all-Peruvian affair.

Atlético Juventud v Universidad Católica

The third and final pairing of the 2026 Copa Libertadores qualification stage saw Uruguayan side Atletico Juventud take on Ecuador’s Universidad Catolica. Once again, this tie represented something of a mismatch in terms of experience at this level.

Atletico Juventud were making their Copa Libertadores debut, with their only previous continental experience coming back in 2015, when they competed in the Copa Sudamericana.

They earned qualification for this year’s Libertadores by finishing fourth in the Uruguayan overall table, following a strong Apertura campaign. Despite falling away somewhat during the Clausura stage, they did enough to maintain fourth place overall, securing their spot in continental competition.

The Ecuadorian side have featured in six previous Copa Libertadores campaigns, with appearances in 1974, 1998, 2021, 2022, and most recently in 2023.

In their latest outing in the competition, they were eliminated in the second qualifying stage, losing 2-1 on aggregate to Millonarios of Colombia.

It was the experience that prevailed in leg one, as Universidad Católica enjoyed a 1-0 victory away from home, giving them a nice advantage going into their home leg.

José Fajardo was given a glorious chance just before half-time to put the Ecuadorians 1-0 up; however, his penalty kick went wide of the goal.

He was redeemed just two minutes into the second half as Jhon Chancellor headed home from a Mauro Díaz corner.

The winner of this tie will meet Paraguayan outfit Guarani.