Universidad Católica and Estudiantes settle everything in Santiago

The tie is still wide open, and that changes everything. After the 1-1 draw in La Plata, neither Universidad Católica nor Estudiantes can count on a safety net, and whoever wins on Tuesday advances to the last eight of the Copa Libertadores. No complicated math here: whoever scores more goals at the Claro Arena moves on, and the other side goes home.

The second leg is set for Tuesday, August 18, kicking off at 9:30 p.m. (Argentina and Uruguay time), 8:30 p.m. in Chile, and 7:30 p.m. for Colombia, Peru and Ecuador. The match will be broadcast through Disney+'s Premium plan, available only in South America.

What did the first leg leave us? Plenty of drama for a game that finished level. Joaquín Tobio put Estudiantes ahead in La Plata, and with the clock running down on the Cruzados, veteran forward Fernando Zampedri stepped up with a long range strike to make it 1-1. With that result, the tie heads to Santiago with no clear favorite.

How the two teams arrive

Universidad Católica had the weekend off from league play; its most recent match was that very draw against Estudiantes, so there is no fresh read on its current form beyond that tie. Estudiantes, on the other hand, arrives with a statement result: a 4-0 rout of Gimnasia in the latest chapter of the La Plata derby, a result that gives the team momentum right before the trip to Chile.

In the middle of the park for the Cruzados, everything runs through Jhojan Valencia, who provides order and clean buildup for Daniel Garnero's side. On the other end, Estudiantes needs Tiago Palacios to bring some spark; the team coached by "Cacique" Medina leans on his ability to create danger if it wants to keep its tournament run alive.

Home field advantage could matter, but in a tie this even, any small detail can decide it. A poorly defended corner, a mistake building out of the back, a well executed set piece: these are the kinds of plays that tend to settle round of 16 ties like this one, where there is no room for a second chance.

What is on the line is significant. Reaching the quarterfinals means staying in the hunt for a place among South America's best eight clubs, something that carries real weight in both teams' history books. Universidad Católica wants to make home field count; Estudiantes arrives emboldened after the beating it handed Gimnasia. The Claro Arena will have the final say.