River Plate Hosts Santa Fe in Sudamericana Decider

River Plate will host Independiente Santa Fe at the Mas Monumental on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, to decide their CONMEBOL Sudamericana Round of 16 series after a goalless first leg in Bogota, Colombia.

The winner over 90 minutes in Buenos Aires will advance to the quarterfinals to play Brazilian side Vasco da Gama. If regulation time ends in a draw, the tie will proceed directly to a penalty shootout without away goals.

In the opening match at El Campin, Santa Fe generated the clearest scoring opportunities, including two strikes off the post by striker Nahuel Bustos. River Plate held on defensively despite struggling to create meaningful chances throughout the contest.

River Plate head coach Eduardo Coudet receives defensive reinforcements as full-backs Gonzalo Montiel and Marcos Acuña return after missing the first leg through injury. Creative midfielder Thiago Almada and forward Sebastián Driussi are expected to lead the home attack.

River Plate enters the clash following a 2-2 domestic draw against Velez Sarsfield. The squad managed just one victory in its eight matches prior to that fixture, placing extra emphasis on continental competition.

Independiente Santa Fe, managed by Pablo Repetto, comes into the fixture on a three-match unbeaten run across all competitions. Veteran forward Hugo Rodallega will lead the line alongside Bustos in a compact tactical setup.

The second leg is scheduled to kick off at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time, with local time in Argentina set for 9:30 p.m.