Independiente del Valle keep five from 2023 Recopa win over Flamengo for Libertadores quarter-final | OneFootball

Flamengo face Independiente del Valle in Thursday's Libertadores quarter-final, a tie with few echoes of the 2023 Recopa final. According to Globo.com, the Ecuadorian side retain only five members of that winning squad.

They are Mateo Carabajal, Richard Schunke, Jordy Alcívar, Junior Sornoza and Gustavo Cortez.

Of those, centre-back Carabajal, midfielder Jordy Alcívar and playmaker Sornoza have strong chances to line up at the Estádio Olímpico de Atahualpa, and all are starters under Joaquín Papa.

Schunke, Carabajal and Sornoza have stayed at the club throughout 2023 to 2026. Cortez spent 2024 at Emelec and returned, while Alcívar was loaned to León in 2025 before coming back.

Sornoza, formerly of Fluminense and Corinthians, wears the number 10 and is a mainstay, regarded as one of Del Valle's idols.

Flamengo also have four holdovers from that 2023 meeting, Varela, Ayrton Lucas, Arrascaeta and Pedro.

The previous tie against Cruzeiro was met with questions, but Flamengo produced assured displays to progress and arrive top of the Campeonato Brasileiro.

Source: Globo.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”