São Paulo suffered more than expected at the Morumbí, but in the end, it was all celebration. The Brazilian side defeated Atlético Nacional in a penalty shootout (4-3) after a 1-1 draw in regulation time, sealing their place in the 2025 Copa Libertadores quarterfinals, where they will face the winner between Botafogo and LDU Quito.

A dream start and a surprising equalizer

Hernán Crespo’s team struck early when, in the 3rd minute, a corner taken by Cédric found the head of André Silva, who opened the scoring for the hosts. The Morumbí buzzed with optimism for a calm night, but the script quickly changed.

Atlético Nacional, who had missed two penalties in the first leg in Medellín, showed more character in the second half. The decisive moment came in the 70th minute when referee Maximiliano Ramírez, after a VAR review, awarded a penalty for a foul by Enzo Díaz. Alfredo Morelos stepped up and calmly converted to make it 1-1, forcing the shootout.

Frustration grew for the Colombians when Edwin Cardona was sent off after receiving a second yellow card in a heated altercation with opponents.

Rafael, the hero of the night

With the aggregate level and time up, the tie was settled from the spot. That’s when Rafael, São Paulo’s goalkeeper, became the hero, saving Mateus Uribe’s shot and watching as Hinestroza smashed his effort against the post. The Brazilians were clinical from the spot, sealing their passage to the next round.

The victory meant much more than just a quarterfinal berth: São Paulo extended their unbeaten run in the Libertadores to 17 matches, cementing the transformation led by Hernán Crespo, who has turned a struggling squad into serious title contenders.

On the other hand, the result was bitter for Atlético Nacional, who, despite competing fiercely, bowed out of the tournament haunted by their missed penalties across both legs.

With this result, the Tricolor Paulista keeps alive its dream of winning a fourth continental crown, while the Colombian side must regroup and refocus on their domestic league campaign.