Palmeiras did the job at home and sealed their place in the quarter-finals of the 2025 Copa Libertadores after a goalless draw against Universitario de Deportes, who delivered a brave performance at the Allianz Parque in São Paulo. Despite the draw, the 0-4 defeat suffered in Lima in the first leg had already decided the tie.

Universitario pushed Palmeiras to the limit

Far from giving up, Jorge Fossati’s side showed personality and went toe-to-toe with the Brazilians on their own turf. Players like Pérez Guedes, Concha, and Carabalí stood out in a blistering start that forced goalkeeper Weverton into multiple saves to keep a clean sheet.

In fact, the Peruvian side briefly celebrated a goal in the 10th minute, when Concha fired powerfully inside the box, but the play was ruled offside against Pérez Guedes after VAR review. Despite the setback, Universitario kept fighting and continued searching for the goal that could have sparked hopes of a comeback.

In contrast, Palmeiras looked lackluster for much of the first half. Struggling to create in midfield, they relied on long balls towards Flaco López and Vitor Roque, with little success. Their best chance came in stoppage time, when a header from Allan rattled the crossbar.

Palmeiras look ahead, Universitario exit with heads held high

In the second half, Portuguese coach Abel Ferreira tried to shake things up by bringing on Lucas Evangelista and others, gradually giving Palmeiras more control. Still, the Peruvian side continued to pose a threat through Jairo Vélez, who found spaces between the lines and kept the hosts on edge until the closing stages.

The physical toll eventually wore down Universitario, and Palmeiras managed to balance the match late on. Even then, goalkeeper Weverton was decisive once again, denying Valera a chance that could have given the visitors a historic win in Brazil.

With this result, Palmeiras move on to the quarter-finals, where they will face the winner of the River Plate vs. Libertad tie. For their part, Universitario bow out with pride, proving that despite the aggregate score, they were able to compete in one of South America’s toughest arenas.