Flamengo Face Independiente del Valle in Libertadores Quarterfinal Return Leg

Maracanã will host another decisive night for Flamengo in their pursuit of a fifth Copa Libertadores crown. On Thursday (17th) at 21:30, the Rubro-Negro receive Independiente del Valle in the second leg of the quarterfinal knockout round. With a commanding 2-0 victory secured in Quito, Flamengo enter as heavy favorites and must manage their aggregate advantage to guarantee a place in the next continental semifinal. A defeat by no more than one goal keeps Flamengo through; should Del Valle win by two, the tie heads to penalties.

Flamengo arrive in commanding form, stringing together five consecutive victories this season. Last Sunday (13th), the Rubro-Negro defeated Corinthians 2-1 at home and maintained their Série A leadership. In the Libertadores, Leonardo Jardim's men are unbeaten across 12 matches, posting nine wins and three draws in that span.

The home side boasts an impressive recent record as Maracanã hosts. Flamengo have won their last nine Libertadores fixtures at the stadium and remain undefeated there since April 2025. Across their 20 most recent home matches in the competition, they have posted 18 victories and just two defeats.

Leonardo Jardim faces one major selection concern ahead of the clash: centre-back Léo Pereira was rested against Corinthians due to muscular discomfort. Bruno Henrique, who scored one of the goals in the Quito victory, is in contention to start again.

Head to Head

Flamengo and Independiente del Valle have faced each other seven times historically, with the Rubro-Negro holding the edge. That reads four Flamengo wins, one draw and two defeats, with 12 goals scored by the Rio club against eight by their Ecuadorian counterparts. All meetings have come via Copa Libertadores or the Recopa Sudamericana.

Their most recent encounter came on September 10th, when Flamengo triumphed 2-0 at the Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, with goals from Bruno Henrique and Léo Pereira. In the Libertadores group phase of 2020, the sides met twice with contrasting results: Del Valle won 5-0 in Ecuador while Flamengo struck back with a 4-0 victory at the Maracanã.

In Continental play, the Mais Querido hold impressive numbers versus Ecuadorian opposition. Across 23 Libertadores matches, Flamengo have recorded 16 wins, two draws and five losses, scoring 45 goals and conceding 23. On home soil in Rio de Janeiro, the Rubro-Negro have dispatched 13 matches against Ecuadorian clubs with 12 victories and one draw.

Match Officials

Referee: Andrés Matonte (URU)
Assistant 1: Carlos Barreiro (URU)
Assistant 2: Mathias Muniz (URU)
VAR: Antonio Garcia (URU).