IFFHS CONTINENTAL NEWS - COPA LIBERTADORES


Picture : Miguel “El Colibrí” Borja (River Plate) becames the first Colombian player to score 30 goals in Copa Libertadores. 
With his goal vs Talleres, he surpassed Anthony de Ávila who was the Colombian top scorer of the competition (29).


Copa Libertadores: statistics on Round of 16 second leg (21-23 August) 

*Fluminense have won a penalty shootout in Copa Libertadores duel (vs Gremio, after 2-1 win and 3-3 aggregate score) for the first time in club history.

*Thiago Silva (Fluminense) became the 2nd oldest defender goal-scorer in the history of South American major club international competitions (39 years 334 days), only behind Óscar Aguirregaray (Uruguay) who scored for Peñarol in a Copa Libertadores match against Vasco da Gama (1-3) on 2 May 2001 at the age of 41 years 189 days.

*It was Thiago Silva’s first goal in continental competitions since 11 March 2015 when he scored for PSG in extra-time against Chelsea (2-2). 
Curiously, he did it, like now, in the second leg of round of 16, with a header and helping his team to advance in the Champions League.

*Carlos Bacca, with his goal vs Colo Colo (1-2), reached 8 goals with Junior in the Copa Libertadores, being now only 2 away from Iván René Valenciano as the club’s top scorer in the history of competition. 

*Colo-Colo won both the first and the second leg of a Copa Libertadores knockout round for the first time in club history.

*Atlético Mineiro (1-0 at home vs San Lorenzo following 2-1 away win) eliminated an Argentine opponent in the Copa Libertadores knockout rounds for the 5th time in a row, after doing so against:
Newell's Old Boys in the semifinals of 2013,
Racing in the round of 16 of 2016,
Boca Juniors in the round of 16 of 2021,
River Plate in quarterfinals of 2021.

*Peñarol (0-1 away vs The Strongest after 4-0 home win) qualified for the quarter-finals of the Copa Libertadores for the first time since 2011 (when they were runners-up).

*Palmeiras (2-2 at home vs Botafogo after 1-2 away defeat) failed to reach the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals for the first time over last 7 editions. 
They leave the 2024 competition with ongoing run of 20 games without defeat at home (the last one was in 2021).

*River Plate (2-1 vs Talleres Córdoba) increased their record for number of Copa Libertadores quarterfinals to 18. 
The next in the ranking Boca Juniors reached this stage 16 times.