River Plate 1-1 Santa Fe: Dramatic penalty shootout sends Colombian side through in Copa Libertadores (full match highlights)

On August 27, 2026, at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, River Plate and Santa Fe played out a 1-1 draw in the return leg of their Copa Libertadores Round of 16 tie. After a goalless first leg, the tie was decided in a dramatic penalty shootout. The referee blew the starting whistle at 03:30 Moscow time. The first half was evenly contested with no goals. The hosts took the lead in the 52nd minute: Sebastián Driussi fired into the far corner after a pass from Gonzalo Montiel — 1-0. In the 71st minute, Montiel received a yellow card. The visitors equalised in the 80th minute: Franco Fagundez restored parity — 1-1. In the 82nd minute, Marcos Acuña saw yellow, followed by Cristian Mafra's booking in the 84th minute. The match ended 1-1 in regular time. The penalty shootout became a real thriller: River Plate started confidently, but Santa Fe showed incredible resilience. In the end, the Colombian side won 8-7 on penalties and advanced to the quarterfinals. Match statistics: River Plate had 58% possession, recorded 15 shots on goal compared to Santa Fe's 9, and completed 82% of their passes against Santa Fe's 73%. Santa Fe showed character and managed to progress despite the hosts' pressure.