2015 Copa Libertadores final stages

The 2015 Copa Libertadores final stages were played from April 28 to August 5, 2015. A total of 16 teams competed in the final stages to decide the champions of the 2015 Copa Libertadores.[1]

Qualified teams

The winners and runners-up of each of the eight groups in the second stage qualified for the final stages.

Group Winners Runners-up
1 Santa Fe Atlético Mineiro
2 Corinthians São Paulo
3 Cruzeiro Universitario
4 Internacional Emelec
5 Boca Juniors Montevideo Wanderers
6 UANL River Plate
7 Atlético Nacional Estudiantes
8 Racing Guaraní

Seeding

The qualified teams were seeded in the final stages according to their results in the second stage, with the group winners seeded 1–8, and the group runners-up seeded 9–16.[1]

Seed Grp Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Round of 16
1 5 Boca Juniors 6 6 0 0 19 2 +17 18 Match A
2 6 UANL 6 4 2 0 16 7 +9 14 Match B
3 4 Internacional 6 4 1 1 13 7 +6 13 Match C
4 2 Corinthians 6 4 1 1 9 3 +6 13 Match D
5 8 Racing 6 4 0 2 15 7 +8 12 Match E
6 1 Santa Fe 6 4 0 2 10 5 +5 12 Match F
7 7 Atlético Nacional 6 3 2 1 12 7 +5 11 Match G
8 3 Cruzeiro 6 3 2 1 8 3 +5 11 Match H
9 2 São Paulo 6 4 0 2 9 4 +5 12 Match H
10 4 Emelec 6 3 1 2 9 5 +4 10 Match G
11 7 Estudiantes 6 3 1 2 7 3 +4 10 Match F
12 5 Montevideo Wanderers 6 3 1 2 9 8 +1 10 Match E
13 8 Guaraní 6 2 3 1 12 10 +2 9 Match D
14 1 Atlético Mineiro 6 3 0 3 5 4 +1 9 Match C
15 3 Universitario 6 2 3 1 4 3 +1 9 Match B
16 6 River Plate 6 1 4 1 8 7 +1 7 Match A
Source: CONMEBOL
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Away goals scored; 5) Drawing of lots.[1]

Format

In the final stages, the 16 teams played a single-elimination tournament, with the following rules:[1]

  • Each tie was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis, with the higher-seeded team hosting the second leg. However, CONMEBOL required that the second leg of the finals had to be played in South America, i.e., if there was a finalist from Mexico, they would have to host the first leg regardless of seeding.
  • In the round of 16, quarterfinals, and semifinals, if tied on aggregate, the away goals rule would be used. If still tied, the penalty shoot-out would be used to determine the winner (no extra time would be played).
  • In the finals, if tied on aggregate, the away goals rule would not be used, and 30 minutes of extra time would be played. If still tied after extra time, the penalty shoot-out would be used to determine the winner.
  • If there were two semifinalists from the same association, they would have to play each other.

Bracket

The bracket of the final stages was determined by the seeding as follows:[1]

  • Round of 16:
    • Match A: Seed 1 vs. Seed 16
    • Match B: Seed 2 vs. Seed 15
    • Match C: Seed 3 vs. Seed 14
    • Match D: Seed 4 vs. Seed 13
    • Match E: Seed 5 vs. Seed 12
    • Match F: Seed 6 vs. Seed 11
    • Match G: Seed 7 vs. Seed 10
    • Match H: Seed 8 vs. Seed 9
  • Quarterfinals:
    • Match S1: Winner A vs. Winner H
    • Match S2: Winner B vs. Winner G
    • Match S3: Winner C vs. Winner F
    • Match S4: Winner D vs. Winner E
  • Semifinals: (if there were two semifinalists from the same association, they would have to play each other)
    • Match F1: Winner S1 vs. Winner S4
    • Match F2: Winner S2 vs. Winner S3
  • Finals: Winner F1 vs. Winner F2

  Round of 16 Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
                                                     
11 Estudiantes 2 0 2  
6 Santa Fe 1 2 3  
  6 Santa Fe 1 0 1  
  3 Internacional 0 2 2  
14 Atlético Mineiro 2 1 3
3 Internacional 2 3 5  
  3 Internacional 2 1 3  
  2 UANL 1 3 4  
10 Emelec 2 0 2  
7 Atlético Nacional 0 1 1  
  10 Emelec 1 0 1
  2 UANL 0 2 2  
15 Universitario 1 1 2
2 UANL 2 1 3  
  2 UANL 0 0 0
  16 River Plate 0 3 3
16 River Plate 1 0 1  
1 Boca Juniors (DQ) 0 0 0  
  16 River Plate 0 3 3
  8 Cruzeiro 1 0 1  
9 São Paulo 1 0 1 (3)
8 Cruzeiro (p) 0 1 1 (4)  
  16 River Plate 2 1 3
  13 Guaraní 0 1 1  
13 Guaraní 2 1 3  
4 Corinthians 0 0 0  
  13 Guaraní 1 0 1
  5 Racing 0 0 0  
12 Montevideo Wanderers 1 1 2
5 Racing 1 2 3  

Round of 16

The first legs were played on April 28 and May 5–7, and the second legs were played on May 5 and 12–14, 2015.[2]

Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
River Plate 1–0 Boca Juniors 1–0 0–0 (susp.)
Universitario 2–3 UANL 1–2 1–1
Atlético Mineiro 3–5 Internacional 2–2 1–3
Guaraní 3–0 Corinthians 2–0 1–0
Montevideo Wanderers 2–3 Racing 1–1 1–2
Estudiantes 2–3 Santa Fe 2–1 0–2
Emelec 2–1 Atlético Nacional 2–0 0–1
São Paulo 1–1 (3–4 p) Cruzeiro 1–0 0–1

Match A
Boca Juniors 0–0
Suspended		 River Plate
Report
Attendance: 50,000
Referee: Darío Herrera (Argentina)

The second leg was suspended after River Plate players were attacked with pepper spray by Boca Juniors fans when the squad returned to the field following halftime, with the match still 0–0 (River Plate leading 1–0 on aggregate).[3] CONMEBOL opened disciplinary proceedings against Boca Juniors, and decided to disqualify them from the tournament on May 16, 2015.[4][5] River Plate advanced to the quarterfinals (Match S1).

Match B
Universitario 1–2 UANL
González  1' Report Esqueda  54'
Álvarez  62'
Attendance: 10,000

UANL won 3–2 on aggregate and advanced to the quarterfinals (Match S2).

Match C
Internacional 3–1 Atlético Mineiro
Valdívia  21'
D'Alessandro  45'
López  80'		 Report Pratto  58'
Attendance: 42,888

Internacional won 5–3 on aggregate and advanced to the quarterfinals (Match S3).

Match D
Corinthians 0–1 Guaraní
Report Fernández  90+1'
Attendance: 40,239
Referee: Enrique Osses (Chile)

Guaraní won 3–0 on aggregate and advanced to the quarterfinals (Match S4).

Match E
Montevideo Wanderers 1–1 Racing
Santos  54' Report Fernández  86'
Attendance: 26,000
Referee: Péricles Cortez (Brazil)

Racing won 3–2 on aggregate and advanced to the quarterfinals (Match S4).

Match F
Estudiantes 2–1 Santa Fe
Auzqui  20'
Carrillo  29'		 Report Morelo  80'
Attendance: 25,000
Santa Fe 2–0 Estudiantes
Meza  33'
Rivera  79'		 Report
Attendance: 20,000
Referee: Carlos Vera (Ecuador)

Santa Fe won 3–2 on aggregate and advanced to the quarterfinals (Match S3).

Match G
Emelec 2–0 Atlético Nacional
Herrera  40'
Bolaños  73'		 Report
Attendance: 15,000
Atlético Nacional 1–0 Emelec
Henríquez  60' Report
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Víctor Carrillo (Peru)

Emelec won 2–1 on aggregate and advanced to the quarterfinals (Match S2).

Match H
São Paulo 1–0 Cruzeiro
Centurión  82' Report
Attendance: 66,369

Tied 1–1 on aggregate, Cruzeiro won on penalties and advanced to the quarterfinals (Match S1).

Quarterfinals

The first legs were played on May 19–21, and the second legs were played on May 26–28, 2015.[6]

Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
River Plate 3–1 Cruzeiro 0–1 3–0
Emelec 1–2 UANL 1–0 0–2
Santa Fe 1–2 Internacional 1–0 0–2
Guaraní 1–0 Racing 1–0 0–0

Match S1
Cruzeiro 0–3 River Plate
Report Sánchez  19'
Maidana  44'
Gutiérrez  51'
Attendance: 54,890

River Plate won 3–1 on aggregate and advanced to the semifinals (Match F1).

Match S2
Emelec 1–0 UANL
Bolaños  63' Report
Attendance: 22,000
Referee: Fernando Rapallini (Argentina)

UANL won 2–1 on aggregate and advanced to the semifinals (Match F2).

Match S3
Santa Fe 1–0 Internacional
Mosquera  90+1' Report
Attendance: 18,860
Internacional 2–0 Santa Fe
Juan  2'
Mina  88' (o.g.)		 Report
Attendance: 44,665
Referee: Víctor Carrillo (Peru)

Internacional won 2–1 on aggregate and advanced to the semifinals (Match F2).

Match S4
Guaraní 1–0 Racing
Benítez  84' Report
Attendance: 18,000
Referee: Sandro Ricci (Brazil)

Guaraní won 1–0 on aggregate and advanced to the semifinals (Match F1).

Semifinals

The first legs were played on July 14–15, and the second legs were played on July 21–22, 2015.[7]

Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
River Plate 3–1 Guaraní 2–0 1–1
Internacional 3–4 UANL 2–1 1–3

Match F1
River Plate 2–0 Guaraní
Mercado  59'
Mora  72'		 Report
Attendance: 67,000
Guaraní 1–1 River Plate
Fernández  61' Report Alario  78'
Attendance: 35,000

River Plate won 3–1 on aggregate and advanced to the finals.

Match F2
Internacional 2–1 UANL
D'Alessandro  4'
Valdívia  9'		 Report Ayala  23'
Attendance: 44,884
UANL 3–1 Internacional
Gignac  17'
Geferson  40' (o.g.)
Arévalo  55'		 Report López  88'
Attendance: 42,000
Referee: Carlos Vera (Ecuador)

UANL won 4–3 on aggregate and advanced to the finals.

Finals
Main article: 2015 Copa Libertadores Finals

The finals were played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. If tied on aggregate, the away goals rule would not be used, and 30 minutes of extra time would be played. If still tied after extra time, the penalty shoot-out would be used to determine the winner.[1]

Since UANL are from Mexico, they had to host the first leg regardless of seeding (Regulations Article 3.7b: "El Torneo deberá indefectiblemente finalizar en un país perteneciente al continente sudamericano. Para tal caso, de llegar a las finales un equipo que no pertenece al continente sudamericano, deberá indefectiblemente jugar su primer partido de local." English translation: "The Tournament shall invariably end in a country belonging to the South American continent. Therefore, provided that a team not belonging to the South American continent qualifies to the finals, it shall invariably play the first leg at its home.")[1]

The first leg was played on July 29, and the second leg was played on August 5, 2015.[8]

UANL 0–0 River Plate
Report
Attendance: 40,000
River Plate 3–0 UANL
Alario  44'
Sánchez  74' (pen.)
Funes Mori  78'		 Report
Attendance: 69,000

References
  1. "Copa Bridgestone Libertadores 2015 – Reglamento" (PDF) (in Spanish). CONMEBOL.com.
  2. "Quedó establecido el programa de los Octavos de Final de la Copa Bridgestone Libertadores" (in Spanish). CONMEBOL.com. April 23, 2015.
  3. "Boca Juniors versus River Plate suspended after apparent tear gas attack". Goal.com. May 14, 2015.
  4. "Apertura de expediente disciplinario al Club Atlético Boca Juniors" (in Spanish). CONMEBOL.com. May 15, 2015.
  5. "Comunicado de la Unidad Disciplinaria" (in Spanish). CONMEBOL.com. May 16, 2015.
  6. "Definida la programación de los cuartos de final de la Copa Bridgestone Libertadores" (in Spanish). CONMEBOL.com. May 15, 2015.
  7. "Las semifinales de la Copa Bridgestone Libertadores se jugarán luego de la Copa América" (in Spanish). CONMEBOL.com. May 29, 2015.
  8. "El 29 de julio y el 5 de agosto se define al campeón de la 56° edición de la Bridgestone Libertadores" (in Spanish). CONMEBOL.com. July 23, 2015.
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