Rossi saves two penalties, fires Flamengo into Libertadores semis | OneFootball

After Failing in Regular Time, Rossi Saved in the Penalty Shootout

In a disappointing performance by Flamengo, Estudiantes (ARG) defeated Flamengo 1-0 this Thursday (25th), at the Jorge Luis Hirschi Stadium, in La Plata. Since the Rubro-Negro had won at Maracanã 2-1, the match was decided by penalties, with victory for the team from Rio. Rossi, who made a mistake in regular time, ended up as the hero in the shootout, saving two penalties.

Now, the qualified team faces Racing (ARG) in the semifinals. The matches will take place at the end of October. On the other side of the bracket, Palmeiras and LDU (EQU) will compete for the other spot in the tournament’s grand final, which will be held in November, in Lima, Peru.

HOW WAS THE FIRST HALF?

The game started very cautiously, with both teams taking few risks. The first shot, from distance and without danger, came at ten minutes, with Benedetti. At 16′, Flamengo almost opened the scoring.

Samuel Lino received the ball on the left and crossed it. The ball went across the entire area, and Pedro slid in to finish. However, the Estudiantes defense managed to clear it even with goalkeeper Muslera beaten on the play. Afterwards, the home team began to control the game.

In a true Argentine ‘blitz’, Arzamendia forced Rossi to make a great save at the 31st minute. After the scare, however, Flamengo finally managed to attack. At 32′, Saúl took a beautiful shot from outside the box, but hit the post. Later, from even further out, the Spaniard drew a “uuuhhh” from the crowd at 42′.

With just seconds left before Flamengo could go into halftime with a draw, Estudiantes scored. At 46′, Benedetti received the ball from the left and fired a rocket, from a tight angle. But Rossi made a big mistake and let it in. Explosion at the Jorge Luis Hirschi Stadium.

HOW WAS THE SECOND HALF?

After tying the aggregate score, Estudiantes completely closed up and started playing for Flamengo’s mistakes. On the other hand, the Rubro-Negro did not have an inspired night. That’s why, early in the second half, Filipe Luís took off Pedro and Plata, sending on Bruno Henrique and Luiz Araújo.

At the 27th minute, a huge scare! Benedetti found the net again, but was offside. On the field, the referees did not signal it. However, VAR later disallowed the play, to the relief of the Flamengo fans. Afterwards, Estudiantes locked down, and the Flamengo, lacking inspiration, failed to threaten. Penalties.

WHEN DOES FLAMENGO PLAY AGAIN?

Flamengo plays again this Sunday (28th), against Corinthians, continuing the Brasileirão 2025 campaign. The match kicks off at 8:30 PM (Brasília time), at Neo Química Arena, with Flamengo aiming to stay at the top of the table.

MATCH DETAILS ESTUDIANTES 1X0 FLAMENGO Competition: Copa Libertadores da América, quarterfinals, second leg Venue: Jorge Luis Hirschi Stadium, La Plata, Argentina Date: September 25, 2025, Thursday Goals: Benedetti 46/1st

LINEUPS

Estudiantes: Fernando Muslera; Román Gómez, Santiago Núñez, Facundo Rodríguez, and Arzamendia; Santiago Ascacíbar, Mikel Amondarain, Cristian Medina, and Benedetti; Palacios and Guido Carrillo. Coach: Eduardo Domínguez.

Flamengo: Agustín Rossi, Guillermo Varela, Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira, and Alex Sandro; Jorginho, Saúl, and Arrascaeta; Samuel Lino, Gonzalo Plata, and Pedro. Coach: Filipe Luís.

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