With curious similarities to its previous and only Copa Libertadores, Palmeiras seeks a place in the final of the most prestigious club tournament in Conmebol on Tuesday, January 12, against a wounded River Plate that relies on the mystique that sometimes emerges when all seems lost; meanwhile, Boca Juniors and Santos FC will resolve their series the next day after a goalless draw in the first leg.

The 3-0 achieved last week in Argentina not only seems definitive but also has shades of déjà vu. When Verdao won their only Libertadores, in 1999, they defeated the Millionaires by that score... also in the semifinals.

Two decades later, Palmeiras is heading towards its fifth Copa final with a team driven by the spirit of promises like Gabriel Menino, Danilo, or Patrick de Paula, and the experience of their goalkeeper Weverton, Paraguayan captain Gustavo Gómez, and striker Luiz Adriano.

Santos and Boca, who will play at the Urbano Caldeira stadium (Vila Belmiro), after the 0-0 at La Bombonera, will be pending the result at Allianz Parque, in Sao Paulo, where the first finalist of the Libertadores in times of pandemic will be known.

The winners of the ties will face each other in the single final, scheduled for Saturday, January 30, in Rio de Janeiro, without the presence of an audience.

Schedule of the second leg matches of the 2020 Copa Libertadores semifinals:

Palmeiras (BRA) vs. River Plate (ARG)

• Tuesday, January 12
• Time: 21:30 Brazil/Argentina (19:30 Ecuador time)
• Stadium: Allianz Parque, Sao Paulo
• Referee: Esteban Ostojich (URU)

Santos FC (BRA) vs. Boca Juniors (ARG)

• Wednesday, January 13
• Time: 19:15 Brazil/Argentina (17:15 Ecuador time)
• Stadium: Vila Belmiro, Sao Paulo
• Referee: Wilmar Roldán (COL)

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