Flamengo aim to settle Del Valle rivalry and reach Libertadores semi-finals | OneFootball

Flamengo host Independiente del Valle on Thursday in a Libertadores tie that carries extra weight. Holding a 2-0 lead from Quito, the Brazilians will qualify for the semi-finals even if they lose by one at the Maracanã.

It will be the eighth meeting between the clubs. Flamengo lead the overall record with four wins, two draws and one defeat, but their knockout head-to-head is level at one apiece.

The first elimination duel came in the 2020 Recopa Sudamericana. Then Libertadores holders, Flamengo drew 2-2 in Quito and won 3-0 at home to lift the trophy.

In 2023, Independiente del Valle hit back in the same competition. They won the first leg 1-0 in Quito, Flamengo levelled 1-0 at the Maracanã, and the Ecuadorians prevailed on penalties.

The sides also shared emphatic wins in the 2020 Libertadores group stage, 5-0 to Del Valle in Quito and 4-0 to Flamengo in Rio, though those matches were not eliminators.

Flamengo’s cushion is historically robust. They have not been knocked out from a position like this in 18 years. In 2008 they beat América-MEX 4-2 away at the Estadio Azteca, then lost 3-0 at the Maracanã and went out.

Across six similar scenarios since, Flamengo have always advanced. The only defeat in those ties was 1-0 at 3,650 metres in La Paz against Bolívar in 2024, which did not stop their progress.

Source: Globo.com

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