Into the last 16! Flamengo beat Estudiantes, top Libertadores Group A | OneFootball

In a typical Libertadores match, Flamengo beat Estudiantes (ARG) at the Maracanã

Leaders of Group A, with or without the walkover from the Independiente Medellín (COL) match. This Wednesday (20), Flamengo beat Estudiantes (ARG) 1-0 in the fifth round of the Copa Libertadores. The goal was scored by Pedro.

With the result, first place in the group is confirmed. That’s because Flamengo reached ten points, four ahead of Estudiantes. It is worth noting that Mengo is still awaiting the three points after the confusion in Medellín in the previous round.

HOW WAS THE FIRST HALF?

The first good chance of the match came just five minutes in, and it was not for Flamengo. After a corner into the box, Pírez beat the red-and-black defense and headed dangerously. In the 14th minute, from another corner, there was nearly an Olympic goal, and Rossi tipped it out for a corner with his fingertips.

The match was very ugly, with few goal-scoring chances and a lot of time-wasting from Estudiantes. The ball was barely in play. However, tempers flared in the 34th minute. Bruno Henrique was brought down inside the box, and the referee awarded a penalty. However, after a VAR review, the call was changed to a free kick.

There were five minutes of stoppage time just for the VAR review. In addition, there was a cooling break. Also, the already mentioned time-wasting from Estudiantes. Even so, the referee added only five minutes and blew the whistle before that time had even fully elapsed. Disastrous officiating at the Maracanã.

HOW WAS THE SECOND HALF?

The second half began like the first. Little football, plenty of time-wasting, and very little actual play. Flamengo only threatened through a free kick from Léo Pereira in the 14th minute, but it was still not enough. Trying to improve the team, Leonardo Jardim made two changes: Evertton Araújo and Luiz Araújo went off, while Lucas Paquetá and Samuel Lino came on.

In such a scrappy, bogged-down game, the goal could only come from a mistake. In the 19th minute, Bruno Henrique tried to dribble but pushed it too far. However, Muslera also made a mistake. The goalkeeper could have picked it up with his hands, but instead tried to clear it with his foot. Poorly. The ball fell short, and the alert Pedro made no mistake. Even from a tight angle, the number 9 scored a beautiful goal. Mengão 1-0!

After the goal, Estudiantes stopped sitting back. As a result, Flamengo found spaces. In the 24th minute, Carrascal received a lovely pass and went one-on-one with Muslera, but the goalkeeper made the save. On the rebound, Pedro tried a scorpion-style backheel, but sent it wide.

In the 31st minute, there was almost a masterpiece at the Maracanã. Lucas Paquetá delivered a superb long ball to Pedro, and the striker hit it first-time on the volley. The ball skimmed the post of Muslera’s goal, drawing applause from the Red-and-Black Nation. After that, Fla simply controlled the match and never looked in danger.

WHEN IS FLAMENGO’S NEXT MATCH?

Flamengo return to action in the Copa Libertadores next Tuesday (26) against Cusco (PER), once again at the Maracanã. Kickoff is at 9:30 p.m. Brasília time. Before that, however, the Most Beloved have an important clash in the Brasileirão. On Saturday (23), they face league leaders Palmeiras, also in Rio de Janeiro.

MATCH DETAILS FLAMENGO 1X0 ESTUDIANTES Competition: Copa Libertadores, fifth round Venue: Maracanã Date: May 20, 2026 Goals: Pedro 19’/2nd half

Flamengo: Agustín Rossi, Emerson Royal, Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira and Ayrton Lucas; Evertton Araújo, Jorginho and Jorge Carrascal; Luiz Araújo, Bruno Henrique and Pedro. Coach: Leonardo Jardim.

Estudiantes: Muslera; Meza, Núñez, Pírez and Palacios; Piovi, Amondarain and Castro; Palacios, Aguirre and Carrilo. Coach: Cacique Medina.

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