Flamengo struck early and seemed to have everything under control, but ended up suffering more than expected at the Maracanã. With goals from Pedro and Guillermo Varela, the three-time Copa Libertadores champions secured a 2-1 win over Estudiantes de La Plata in the first leg of the quarterfinals. A stoppage-time strike from Guido Carrillo in the 90th minute left the tie wide open ahead of the return leg in Argentina.

A blistering start from Mengão

Filipe Luís’ side came out determined to impose their game from the opening whistle. Just 16 seconds in, Pedro capitalized on a defensive lapse and stunned goalkeeper Fernando Muslera to make it 1-0, a goal that will go down as one of the fastest in the club’s Libertadores history.

The psychological blow was too much for Estudiantes, who were still trying to regroup when, in the 8th minute, they conceded again. A cross from Ayrton Lucas was met by Uruguayan Guillermo Varela, who doubled the lead and put Flamengo comfortably ahead 2-0.

In the first half, Muslera emerged as the standout for the Argentine side, preventing the deficit from growing with several key saves.

Estudiantes respond late as Flamengo suffer

The second half showed a different side of Estudiantes, who pushed forward with more determination to cut the deficit, though they lacked precision in the final pass. Flamengo’s night grew complicated in the 82nd minute when Ecuadorian Gonzalo Plata was sent off with a second yellow card, leaving his team down to ten men.

Eduardo Domínguez’s side took advantage of their numerical superiority to pile on pressure in the closing minutes and were rewarded in the 90th minute, when Guido Carrillo pounced on a rebound in the box to beat Agustín Rossi and make it 2-1.

The late goal keeps the Argentine side alive, as they now look to overturn the result at the Jorge Luis Hirschi on September 25.

The tie remains open

Although Flamengo secured a victory that seemed wrapped up early on, the red card and Estudiantes’ late goal left mixed feelings. Mengão trust that their advantage from Rio de Janeiro will be enough to reach the semifinals, while the Argentines cling to their Libertadores pedigree and home advantage to attempt a comeback.