Estudiantes vs. Flamengo 0–0: Libertadores Semifinal Kickoff, Venue and Team News

Estudiantes vs. Flamengo ended 0–0 in the first leg of the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores semifinal on Thursday, October 15. Estudiantes hosted the game at Estadio Jorge Luis Hirschi (UNO) in La Plata, Argentina, with kickoff at 9:30 p.m. Argentina Time (ART, UTC−03:00)—equivalent to 00:30 UTC on Friday, October 16. CONMEBOL confirms the final score, and the tie remains 0–0 on aggregate ahead of the second leg in Brazil.

The teams meet again on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at 9:30 p.m. Brasília Time (BRT, UTC−03:00) at the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro. That is 00:30 UTC on Friday, October 23. These dates and times come from CONMEBOL's official semifinal schedule and its fixture pages, rather than the date this article was updated.

Estudiantes vs. Flamengo: confirmed first-leg score, time and venue

CONMEBOL's CONMEBOL first-leg match center displays “Full time,” the goalless result, the halftime score and the 0–0 aggregate. The same competition organizer identifies Flamengo as the home team for the return in the CONMEBOL second-leg fixture. Argentina and Rio de Janeiro are both on UTC−03:00 for these October dates, so the local kickoff clock time is the same even though the two games take place in different countries.

What happened in the 0–0 draw in La Plata?

Estudiantes had the more sustained attacking spells, especially when pressing Flamengo's attempts to play out of defense. In the opening minutes, Baltasar Rodríguez tested Agustín Rossi from distance. Later in the first half, Tiago Palacios collected a loose ball in the area, but Léo Pereira intervened to prevent a goal. Those are among the chances described in Flamengo's own Flamengo postgame report.

The home side continued to look threatening after halftime. Eros Mancuso shot wide, Santiago Núñez sent a header off target, and late substitute Edwuin Cetré had an effort saved by Rossi. Estudiantes' Estudiantes postgame report also highlights its pressure from set pieces and wide areas while acknowledging that the finishing touch was missing.

Flamengo had periods on the ball and tried to use Samuel Lino, Bruno Henrique and Jorge Carrascal in transitions, but it failed to turn those moments into a winning goal. The Brazilian club's match report described a difficult night against Estudiantes' pressure. The result is best understood as a scoreless draw in which neither side established a numerical advantage, not as proof of how the teams will perform in Rio.

Confirmed Estudiantes starting lineup

Coach Alexander Medina named the following starting XI, recorded on the Estudiantes match sheet. The club lists its shape as 4-3-3; that describes the published lineup rather than every tactical position throughout the 90 minutes.

Estudiantes (4-3-3): Fernando Muslera; Eros Mancuso, Santiago Núñez, Ramiro Funes Mori, Gastón Benedetti; Baltasar Rodríguez, Ezequiel Piovi, Alexis Castro; Tiago Palacios, Guido Carrillo, Joaquín Tobio Burgos.

Among the substitutes on Estudiantes' match sheet were Edwuin Cetré, Joaquín Correa, Miguel Monsalve, José Sosa, Adolfo Gaich and Lucas Alario. A place on the bench does not mean a player entered the match.

Confirmed Flamengo starting lineup

Flamengo head coach Leonardo Jardim fielded a lineup listed as 4-3-3 on the same official match record. This is the confirmed first-leg team, not a prediction for October 22.

Flamengo (4-3-3): Agustín Rossi; Emerson Royal, Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira, Alex Sandro; Erick Pulgar, Saúl Ñíguez, Lucas Paquetá; Jorge Carrascal, Samuel Lino, Bruno Henrique.

The published Flamengo bench included Pedro, Gonzalo Plata, Luiz Araújo, Nicolás De la Cruz, Guillermo Varela and Joaquín Freitas. Both clubs' postgame reporting is consistent about the coaches and their first-leg starting players. Any changes for the return leg must be confirmed on the next matchday; these teams should not be mistaken for already-announced second-leg lineups.

Substitutions and yellow cards: the official match record

Estudiantes' Estudiantes match sheet records three home substitutions and three away substitutions. The timings below refer to minutes of the first leg, not projected changes for the return.

The club's card log shows Alexis Castro (34') and Ezequiel Piovi (43') booked for Estudiantes. For Flamengo, it lists Lucas Paquetá (63'), Jorge Carrascal (70') and Guillermo Varela (87'). This is a match-event record, not a declaration about suspensions or second-leg eligibility.

What the draw means for the return leg at the Maracanã

Neither club carries a lead into Rio. A win for either side on October 22 would put that team through to the Libertadores final. According to Flamengo's Flamengo postgame report, another draw would send the semifinal decision to a penalty shootout. The first-leg clean sheets therefore leave the qualification contest unresolved.

The second leg is scheduled for the Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, on Thursday, October 22, at 9:30 p.m. BRT (UTC−03:00). The organizer's official match listing has the same kickoff and venue as Flamengo's Flamengo official ticket information. Readers outside Brazil should use the UTC reference—Friday, October 23, 00:30 UTC—when converting to their own time zone.

Where to check team news, TV coverage and official updates

For first-leg results, incidents and the referee listing, go directly to the CONMEBOL first-leg match center. For the team sheets, substitutions and bookings, use the Estudiantes match sheet. Club accounts can provide added context: both the Estudiantes postgame report and Flamengo postgame report published reports following the 0–0 draw.

Estudiantes' match page listed Fox Sports, Telefé and Disney+ under TV coverage for the game in La Plata. Those listings should not be interpreted as guaranteed availability in every country, nor as confirmed broadcasters for the second leg. Rights, channel schedules and replay catalogs vary by territory; consult an authorized local broadcaster or streaming service before the return match.

Team-news status as of October 17, 2026: the October 15 starting elevens and substitutions are confirmed; the starting lineups for October 22 have not yet been published in the official fixture information checked for this update. The next authoritative check is the CONMEBOL second-leg fixture and the clubs' matchday communications. The decisive fixture is still ahead, and the winner is not yet known.

Source review: October 17, 2026. Primary sources: CONMEBOL's official match centers and semifinal schedule; Estudiantes de La Plata's match sheet and postgame report; and Flamengo's official match report and ticket information.