Cerro Porteño vs Palmeiras

Palmeiras booked their place in the Copa Libertadores quarter-finals with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Cerro Porteño at La Nueva Olla, a result that settled a tie level on aggregate after the first-leg draw. The standout moment came early, and it proved decisive on a heavy, difficult pitch that made fluid football hard to come by all night. The only goal arrived in the 40th minute, when Jhon Arias whipped in a cross from the flank and captain Gustavo Gómez rose above his marker to head firmly past the Cerro goalkeeper. From there the match turned scrappy and disjointed, with bookings for Fabrício Domínguez, Flaco López and Jorge Morel, but no red cards or penalties. Cerro pushed for an equalizer through Lucas Quintana and a late chance for Pablo Vegetti, without breaking through. For Palmeiras, it's another step deeper into the competition despite an underwhelming overall performance, with manager Abel Ferreira admitting his side weren't at their best. For Cerro Porteño, the run in this year's Libertadores ends in the round of 16, unable to build on the resilience they'd shown in the first leg.