Palmeiras beats Fluminense 2–1 in Copa Libertadores semifinal first leg

Palmeiras defeated Fluminense 2–1 in the first match of the Copa Libertadores semifinal on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro. The result gives Palmeiras an away-goals advantage heading into the second leg, scheduled for October 21 at Nubank Parque in São Paulo.

Palmeiras arrived in Rio without striker Vitor Roque, who suffered an ankle sprain during a 4–1 victory over Corinthians in the Brazilian Championship on October 11. Despite the injury being considered mild, Roque did not recover in time to travel with the delegation. However, Palmeiras indicated it would monitor his condition daily with the possibility of including him in the second leg if his rehabilitation progresses. Other squad members including Ramon Sosa and Paulinho trained without issue and were available for the match.

Fluminense entered the semifinal with a historical record against Brazilian opponents in the Libertadores. Since debuting in the competition in 1971, Fluminense has faced five knockout ties against Brazilian teams and been eliminated only once—by Atlético Mineiro in 2024. The club's track record includes knockout victories over São Paulo, Internacional (twice), and Grêmio. The match was officiated by Argentine referee Facundo Tello, with broadcast coverage on Globo, Paramount+, and ge TV.

The second leg will determine which team advances to face the winner of the other semifinal between Flamengo and Estudiantes of Argentina. Palmeiras entered the tie as the higher-ranked side in the Brazilian Championship, sitting second with 63 points, one behind leader Flamengo. Fluminense, positioned third with 53 points, had reached the semifinal after eliminating Platense with an aggregate advantage of 3–1.