La Plata is set for a continental evening as Estudiantes welcome Flamengo to the Estadio UNO Jorge Luis Hirschi for the first leg of their Copa Libertadores semi-final.
The Argentine side will look to turn home support into an advantage before the tie moves north to Rio de Janeiro next week. Flamengo arrive as the competition’s defending champions, adding another layer to a meeting between two clubs with heavyweight Libertadores histories.
Quick facts
- Competition: Copa Libertadores
- Round: Semi-finals, first leg
- Venue: Estadio UNO Jorge Luis Hirschi, La Plata
- Home team: Estudiantes de La Plata
- Away team: Flamengo
- Second leg: Next week at the Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro
- Flamengo status: Defending Copa Libertadores champions
For Estudiantes, the opening match is an opportunity to establish control in familiar surroundings before facing the return fixture at the Maracanã. The club from La Plata will seek a result strong enough to carry into one of South America’s most demanding away stages.
Flamengo, meanwhile, travel to Argentina with the responsibility that comes with holding the title. Their aim will be to leave La Plata with the tie balanced, or better, before deciding the semi-final in front of their own crowd.
The two-leg contest places La Plata and Rio de Janeiro at the centre of the Libertadores calendar, with a place in the final at stake.
