Estudiantes vs Corinthians

This quarterfinal first leg carries real stakes: the winner advances to face Independiente del Valle or Flamengo in the Libertadores semifinals. Estudiantes sit 8th in the Liga Profesional with 21 points from 16 games, while Corinthians are 9th in the Brasileirão after 23 rounds — both clubs are leaning on this competition to save their season. Estudiantes reached this stage by thrashing Universidad Católica 3-0, with Joaquín Correa opening the scoring and Guido Carrillo adding a second-half brace. Corinthians scraped past Rosario Central 1-0 while down to ten men, Breno Bidon converting a Memphis Depay free-kick — Depay having just re-signed through 2028. The two sides met once before, in the 2023 Copa Sudamericana, splitting 1-0 wins before Corinthians advanced on penalties. Expect a cagey opener in La Plata before the return leg in São Paulo. Our prediction: 1-1