Liga de Quito draws Palmeiras again in Copa Libertadores quarterfinals

The series came down to a penalty shootout, and Liga de Quito once again showed it knows how to handle the pressure from twelve yards. Having already punched its ticket to the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals by eliminating Mirassol, the club known as the Albos landed a matchup that feels almost written by fate: Palmeiras again, the very team that gave them one of the most intense, and most painful, nights in their recent history in the competition just ten months ago.

To understand what's coming, you have to go back to last year's semifinal. In the first leg, Liga de Quito, still coached by Tiago Nunes at the time, played a nearly perfect first half: Gabriel Villamil scored twice and Lisandro Alzugaray added another to complete a resounding 3-0 that looked like it had settled the tie. The team eased off in the second half, content to protect the lead, figuring it would be enough.

It wasn't enough. Seven days later, on October 30, 2025, Palmeiras traveled to Quito and showed exactly why it was one of the top title contenders. With goals from Ramón Sosa, Bruno Fuchs and a brace from Raphael Veiga, the Verdão flipped the series with a resounding 4-0 win to reach the final, which they would go on to lose to Flamengo. It was a comeback that left the Ecuadorians with the bitter feeling of having had qualification in their hands, only to watch it slip away.

A rematch in a different format

Nearly a year later, the two clubs meet again, though this time at an earlier stage: the quarterfinals. One detail changes the script from last season. Liga de Quito finished atop its group in the opening phase, while Palmeiras finished second in its own group, meaning it will be the Ecuadorian side hosting the second leg this time around. The Albos will travel to Brazil first and then close out the series back home in Quito, with the advantage of deciding things on their own turf.

There's another name adding extra spice to this reunion: Deyveron. The Brazilian forward, now on Liga de Quito's roster, is fondly remembered at Palmeiras for the goal he scored in the 2021 Libertadores final against Flamengo, played in Montevideo, where the Verdão was crowned champion. Now, wearing a different jersey, he'll look to knock out the very club that made him a champion.

Recent history looms large, especially given how Palmeiras' last visit to Quito ended. But soccer also offers second chances, and Liga de Quito now has the opportunity to rewrite the ending of a story that, until now, slipped away at just the wrong moment.