Platense edges past Coquimbo Unido on penalties to reach Copa Libertadores quarterfinals

Platense booked its ticket to the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals by beating Coquimbo Unido in a penalty shootout, 7-6, after the match ended level at 0-0 at Estadio Francisco Sanchez Rumoroso. The Argentine club advanced despite failing to win in regulation, capping a round of 16 series that had opened with a 1-1 draw in Argentina.

The aggregate score finished level, and everything was decided from the spot in one of the longest shootouts you'll see: fourteen kicks taken and just a single miss, from Salvador Cordero, which ended up being the difference between advancing and elimination for Coquimbo Unido.

A scoreless finish, but not one short on chances

The Chilean side had its best spell in the opening half hour, with chances for Lucas Pratto, Guido Vadala and Sebastian Galani that failed to find the target. Platense, for its part, grew into the game as the minutes went on and created its best opportunities in the second half: in the 88th minute, Nicolas Lopez rattled the crossbar with a shot, the clearest chance of the entire match for the visitors. Deep into stoppage time, both Juan Cornejo and Martin Barrios tested the goalkeepers without breaking the deadlock, and the score remained unchanged through the end of extra time.

With the 0-0 result confirmed after the added minutes, the match went straight to a penalty shootout to determine who would move on in the tournament.

The numbers from the match

Platense controlled the ball and produced more attacking volume, reflected in its seven corners compared to just one for the home side. Efficiency, however, favored Coquimbo Unido, which managed more shots on target despite seeing less of the ball. According to our own estimate calculated from the match's shot data, xG slightly favored the visitors, 1.351 to 0.88 for the home side, a gap that confirms Platense's greater offensive weight without it translating into a goal during regulation.

What the preview said versus what actually happened

Before kickoff, the published projection pointed to a tight matchup with a slight edge for the home side: 43% odds for Coquimbo Unido, 28% for Platense and 29% for a draw, with expected total goals of 2.67. Reality turned out quite different: there were no goals in the 90 minutes, and the outcome shifted to an endless penalty shootout, a scenario no expected-goals projection can foresee.

What the match leaves behind

Coquimbo Unido bows out of the Copa Libertadores in the round of 16 after a series it dominated in stretches but couldn't close out when it mattered most, with Cordero's heartbreak as the lasting image of the night. Platense, meanwhile, celebrates its spot in the next round thanks to nerve proven from the penalty spot, backed by near-perfect efficiency from its takers, among them Agustin Lagos, Mateo Mendia, Nicolas Lopez, Luciano Gimenez, Franco Zapiola, Juan Pablo Cozzani and Martin Barrios, none of whom missed their attempts in the shootout.