Palmeiras and LDU are playing for a place in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores semifinals over two legs, and qualification is decided by the combined result of the tie. The first leg is scheduled for Wednesday, September 9, at 7:00 p.m. in São Paulo. The second leg will be played on September 16 at 5:00 p.m. local time in Quito, at Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado. Because Quito is two hours behind Brasília, the return leg corresponds to 7:00 p.m. Brasília time.
For supporters, the practical rule is simple: add the goals from both matches. If one team has more goals after the 180 minutes, it advances. If the tie finishes level on aggregate, the place in the next round is decided directly by a penalty shootout. The 2026 Libertadores Club Manual does not provide for extra time in the quarterfinals and does not use away goals as a tiebreaker.
Dates and home teams for Palmeiras vs LDU
- First leg: Palmeiras vs LDU, Wednesday, September 9, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., at NuBank Parque in São Paulo.
- Second leg: LDU vs Palmeiras, Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. local time, at Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado in Quito — 7:00 p.m. Brasília time.
The schedule was published by CONMEBOL itself in the 2026 Libertadores quarterfinal fixture list. Palmeiras therefore opens the tie at home, while LDU hosts the deciding leg.
How qualification works in the quarterfinals
The 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores Club Manual sets goal difference as the first tiebreaking criterion for the round of 16, quarterfinals and semifinals when teams are level. If the tie remains level, the winner is decided by kicks from the penalty mark under IFAB/FIFA rules.
In practical terms, that means looking at the aggregate score: the total number of goals scored by each team across the first and second legs. The rule gives no extra weight to away goals. There is also no extra time in the quarterfinals: if the aggregate score is level at the end of the 90 minutes in the second leg, the tie goes to penalties.
What each first-leg result means for the return leg
| Result in São Paulo | Situation before the second leg | What happens in Quito |
|---|---|---|
| Palmeiras wins by n goals | Palmeiras takes an n-goal aggregate advantage. | A Palmeiras win or draw sends Palmeiras through. If LDU wins by exactly the same margin, the aggregate score is level and the tie goes to penalties. If LDU wins by a larger margin, LDU advances. |
| Draw | The aggregate score is level going into the second leg. | Whoever wins the second leg advances. Any second draw keeps the aggregate score level and sends the tie to penalties. |
| LDU wins by n goals | LDU takes an n-goal aggregate advantage. | Palmeiras must win by exactly the same margin to force penalties, or by a larger margin to advance directly. A draw or an LDU win sends the Ecuadorian side through. |
“n-goal margin” means the size of the win, not one specific scoreline. A two-goal advantage could be 2-0, 3-1, 4-2, and so on.
Score examples to make the calculation clear
If Palmeiras wins the first leg 1-0
- A draw in the second leg: Palmeiras advances.
- LDU wins the second leg by one goal, such as 1-0 or 2-1: the aggregate score is level and the tie goes to penalties.
- LDU wins the second leg by two or more goals: LDU advances.
If the first leg ends in a draw
- Palmeiras wins in Quito: Palmeiras advances.
- LDU wins: LDU advances.
- Another draw, whether 0-0, 1-1 or any other level score: the aggregate remains tied and there is a penalty shootout.
If LDU wins the first leg 2-0
- Palmeiras wins the second leg by two goals: the aggregate score is level and the tie goes to penalties.
- Palmeiras wins the second leg by three or more goals: Palmeiras advances.
- Palmeiras wins by only one goal, draws or loses: LDU advances.
Exactly when a penalty shootout happens
Penalties only come into play after the second leg. If, at the end of the 90 minutes in Quito, the teams have scored the same total number of goals across both matches, qualification is decided by kicks from the penalty mark.
This also settles two common questions. First, there is no extra time in the quarterfinals; the manual provides for extra time in the final when the deciding match finishes level. Second, away goals do not break the tie; after goal difference, the next criterion listed for the quarterfinals is the penalty shootout.
How to follow the aggregate score without getting lost
- Note the winning margin from the first leg.
- During the second leg, add the goals from both matches for each team.
- At full time, the team with more goals in total advances.
- If the totals are equal, the tie is decided on penalties.
Having the second leg in Quito changes where the tie is decided, but not the qualification math. The safest way to follow the series is always through the aggregate score, without assigning extra value to an away goal.
