The José Amalfitani Stadium witnessed a historic night for Vélez Sarsfield, who beat Fortaleza 2-0 to book their place in the 2025 Copa Libertadores quarterfinals. After a goalless draw in the first leg in Brazil, the Argentine side secured their spot among the continent’s top eight and will now await the winner between Racing Club and Peñarol.

Early goals set the tone

The match could not have started better for Guillermo Barros Schelotto’s team. Just seven minutes in, a precise cross from Elías Gómez found the head of rising star Maher Carrizo, who opened the scoring and sent the crowd into a frenzy.

The second blow came soon after, in the 28th minute, when an error by Deyverson in the build-up was punished by Jano Gordon, who won back possession and set up Tomás Galván. The midfielder fired a powerful strike to double Vélez’s lead and put them in full control.

From there, the hosts dictated the tempo and could have added to their advantage with efforts from Braian Romero and Imanol Machuca, but goalkeeper Helton Leite denied them a larger margin.

Fortaleza bow out as Vélez dream big

In the second half, Fortaleza tried to respond but luck was not on their side. A strike from Lucca Prior rattled the crossbar, and later Tomás Marchiori produced a crucial save to stop Allanzinho from pulling one back. Out of ideas and running short on time, the Brazilian side eventually accepted defeat against Vélez’s solid defense.

The win underlines the great form of the Liniers club, who had recently beaten Independiente 2-1 in domestic competition. For Barros Schelotto, this qualification is a huge confidence boost for a project that is starting to show results.

Meanwhile, Fortaleza, now managed by Renato Paiva after Juan Pablo Vojvoda’s departure, must shift focus to the Brazilian league, where they are struggling in the relegation zone.

With authority, Vélez not only secured their place among the Libertadores elite but also made it clear they want to be contenders for a trophy they haven’t lifted since 1994.