A dramatic late goal secured a 1-1 draw for Recoleta against the Brazilian side Santos, maintaining the Paraguayan club’s unbeaten record in the Copa Sudamericana. In front of a capacity crowd at the Río Parapití stadium in the Paraguayan city of Pedro Juan Caballero, Recoleta fought back after a first-half strike from Brazil star player Neymar Jr. had given the visitors the lead. The equaliser arrived in the final minutes of the match, just when it seemed Neymar’s Santos would claim all three points.
Despite the visitors’ control, Recoleta continued to press for an equaliser. As the match entered its final stages, Recoleta’s manager Jorge González looked to his substitutes to provide a much-needed spark. With his very first touch of the ball, substitute Fernando Galeano found the back of the net in the 86th minute against Neymar’s Santos, levelling the score at 1-1.
Recoleta stays unbeaten
The result ensures Recoleta, nicknamed El Funebrero (The Undertaker), remains undefeated in the group stage, having now drawn all four of their matches with an identical 1-1 scoreline. This series of draws places them in the third position in Group D with four points. In contrast, Neymar’s Santos remains at the bottom of the table with three points.
Recoleta also benefited from the other group fixture, where Deportivo Cuenca and San Lorenzo played out a 0-0 draw. That result keeps the Paraguayan team firmly in contention, though they face a challenging end to the group stage. The club must now prepare for two difficult away fixtures to determine their fate in the Copa Sudamericana group stage.
Historic win for Olimpia
Olimpia kept the recent Paraguayan championship celebrations going, by pulling off a major upset on Argentinian soil, coming from behind to defeat Barracas Central 1-2, breaking their curse and securing their first ever victory in Argentina for the Copa Sudamericana.
In the 90th minute, Olimpia substitute Alex Franco cut inside the opposition’s box and produced a clinical finish to put his team ahead 1-2. The Paraguayan side now sit atop the group alongside Brazil’s Vasco da Gama on 7 points with two games to play.
Fourth consecutive loss for Libertad
Libertad’s struggles on the international stage continued, as they suffered a fourth consecutive defeat in the Copa Libertadores group stage. The 1-0 loss at Argentina’s Rosario Central almost surely eliminates Libertad from contention for the round of 16.
Libertad must now win both of their remaining Group H matches and hope that Universidad Central from Venezuela fails to pick up a single point – a scenario that looks almost impossible.
Cerro Porteño wins in Colombia
Also in the Copa Libertadores group stage, a determined and spirited Cerro Porteño proved too strong in Cartagena, Colombia, defeating Junior 1-0 thanks to a stunning goal from Pablo Vegetti. The Azulgrana secured all three points and climbed into second place in Group F with seven points, taking a significant step closer to qualification for the Copa Libertadores Round of 16.
The result leaves Cerro Porteño second in the group on 7 points, behind leaders Palmeiras (10 points), whom they face next on Wednesday 20 May, 2026, at the Allianz Parque in Brazil.
