Flamengo withstands Racing's pressure, secures a draw and advances to the Libertadores final

It was thrilling until the very last minute! With an impeccable defensive performance, Flamengo held Racing to a 0-0 draw at El Cilindro stadium in Argentina, securing their place in the Conmebol Libertadores final, their fifth in history! The Rubro-Negro were down to ten men from the 10th minute of the second half and managed to withstand the Argentinian pressure until the end. Special mention goes to Rossi, who once again proved decisive with important saves, earning him the man-of-the-match award.

With a spot in the final, Flamengo will go to its fifth Libertadores final in history and will fight to be the first Brazilian club to win the continental competition four times. The club from Gávea awaits the winner of the match between Palmeiras and LDU.

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The game 

Needing a win, Racing started the match taking the initiative to attack. But Flamengo quickly managed to balance the game and take possession of the ball. The first good chance for the red-and-black team came in the fourth minute with Carrascal, who made a good play on the left, exchanged passes with Jorginho, but when it came time to finish, he mishit the ball.

At 10 minutes, Luiz Araújo received the ball on the right, cut inside and took a shot. The ball went close to Cambeses' left post. In the next play, Racing came close with a header from Conechny, forcing Rossi to make a great save. Fla responded immediately. Carrascal passed to Arrascaeta, who crossed low into the middle of the area, Varela arrived to finish at the far post and the goalkeeper dived to prevent the goal.

Flamengo, nicknamed "The Most Beloved," was clearly the better team in the match, managing to contain the opponent's momentum, and when they went on the attack, they arrived in the area in an organized and dangerous manner. Another good attack by the red-and-black team happened at 33'. Léo Ortiz made the tackle and the ball fell to Arrascaeta, who broke through the middle, won the challenge with the defender and shot past Cambeses. The goalkeeper, once again, saved the Argentinians. 

In the final stretch, Racing regained control of the game and sent many balls into the Flamengo penalty area in an attempt to open the scoring in the first half, but Flamengo remained solid defensively and went into halftime with the score tied. The result secures qualification for the team from Gávea.

Returning for the second half, Racing continued to pressure Flamengo. The game was very close and the fight for possession was intense. In the 10th minute, Plata was sent off for slapping Rojo, leaving Flamengo with one less player. The referee was extremely strict in giving the red card to the striker.  

With that, Filipe Luís immediately made changes to the team, bringing on Danilo and Bruno Henrique in place of Carrascal and Arrascaeta, respectively. With a numerical advantage, Racing went all out on the attack.

At 28 minutes, Rojo was initially sent off after a head clash with Léo Ortiz. However, after reviewing the play with VAR, the referee rescinded the red card. In the final stretch, Jorginho suffered an injury and was replaced by Evertton Araujo. In stoppage time, goalkeeper Rossi shone with a spectacular save, saving Flamengo.

Despite playing with one less player since the 10th minute of the second half, Flamengo showed courage, withstood Racing's pressure, and secured their place in the Libertadores final. It's also worth highlighting the impeccable performance of the Flamengo defense, which displayed solidity throughout the entire match. 

Now, Flamengo awaits its opponent in the final, which will emerge from the match between Palmeiras and LDU. It will be the fifth Libertadores final in the history of Clube de Regatas do Flamengo!

Flamengo

Rossi; Varela (Emerson Royal), Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira and Alex Sandro; Erick Pulgar, Jorginho (Evertton Araujo) and Arrascaeta (Bruno Henrique); Luiz Araújo (Saúl), Carrascal (Danilo) and Plata. 
Coach: Filipe Luís. 

Racing

Cambeses; Mura (Martirena), Colombo, Marcos Rojo and Gabriel Rojas; Zuculini, Nardoni (Zaracho) and Almendra (Balboa); Solari (Vietto), Conechny (Vergara) and Adrían Martínez.
Coach: Gustavo Costas. 

Week's agenda

Flamengo returns to the field on Saturday (1) to face Sport, at 21 pm, at Maracanã, for the 31st round of Brasileirão. 

Technical sheet

Racing 0-0 Flamengo – Conmebol Libertadores | Second Leg Semifinal
Location: Presidente Perón Stadium (El Cilindro), Argentina
Date and time: 29/10/2025 at 21:30 am
Arbitration: Piero Maza (CHI), Cláudio Urrutia (CHI) and José Retamal (CHI)
Yellow cards: Mura (RAC), Marcos Rojo (RAC), Ayrton Lucas (FLA)
Red card: Plata (FLA).