Estudiantes de La Plata and Universidad Católica face off this Tuesday, August 11 at Estadio UNO Jorge Luis Hirschi in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores 2026 Round of 16, in a series that pits one of the continent’s most historic clubs against one of the surprise teams from the group stage.

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Coverage of this highly anticipated matchup begins at 8:20 PM ET / 6:20 PM PT and can be watched LIVE on beIN SPORTS

Estudiantes looks to make its history count in La Plata

The team coached by Alexander Medina begins the knockout stage with the goal of taking advantage of home field and traveling to Chile with an edge in the series.

Estudiantes finished second in Group A and secured its place in the Round of 16 after closing out the group stage with a 1-0 win over Independiente Medellín.

El Pincha also boasts a rich tradition in the competition. The Argentine club has won the Copa Libertadores four times, a history it will look to draw upon once again on a decisive night in La Plata.

Players such as Guido Carrillo, Tiago Palacios, Alexis Castro and Fernando Muslera are among the key figures for the Argentine side heading into the first match of the tie.

Universidad Católica returns to Argentina after an unforgettable night

Los Cruzados reach the Round of 16 after an impressive group-stage campaign in which they finished top of Group D, ahead of Cruzeiro, Boca Juniors and Barcelona de Guayaquil.

Their most recent trip to Argentina also produced one of the standout results of their campaign. Universidad Católica defeated Boca Juniors 1-0 at La Bombonera, thanks to a goal from Clemente Montes, to secure first place in the group.

The team coached by Daniel Garnero now faces another challenge on Argentine soil, although it will arrive with several absences. Clemente Montes, Sebastián Arancibia, Juan Ignacio Díaz and Juan Francisco Rossel will not be available for this match.

One of their biggest attacking threats will once again be Fernando Zampedri, who scored three goals during the Libertadores group stage and arrives as one of Los Cruzados’ main offensive weapons.

A series that will be decided in Chile

The match in La Plata will be only the first chapter of a 180-minute knockout tie.

The second leg is scheduled for Tuesday, August 18 at Claro Arena, where Universidad Católica will host Estudiantes to determine which team earns a place in the Copa Libertadores 2026 quarterfinals.

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