Platense were knocked out of the Libertadores despite beating Fluminense
El Calamar won 2-1 in Vicente López, but could not overturn the 0-2 defeat in Brazil and said goodbye to the continental competition. Palermo highlighted the team’s attitude and asked for that same commitment to be carried into the league and the Copa Argentina.
The blow was hard, even if there was something to salvage from the performance. Platense beat Fluminense 2-1 in Vicente López, but it was not enough to turn the tie around and they were eliminated from the Copa Libertadores after the 0-2 defeat they had suffered in Brazil.
A win that wasn’t enough
Martín Palermo’s side did its part at home. They won the match, pushed until the end and showed a combative version against a heavyweight opponent. However, the advantage built by Fluminense in the first leg ended up being decisive.
The tie ended with mixed feelings: Platense celebrated an important victory, but the aggregate score did not allow them to stay in the competition. At this stage, every detail counts. And the punishment for the poor start to the tie was definitive.
Palermo, satisfied with the attitude
The Calamar coach chose to focus on the effort of his players. Far from dramatizing, he stressed that he has no complaints about the squad and put into value the team’s response against a side with real pedigree.
Martín Palermo praised the team’s commitment and said he has “nothing to reproach”.
He also made one clear point about what comes next: carrying that intensity into the domestic league and the Copa Argentina. That is the bridge Platense now tries to build so it does not end up with only the frustration of elimination.
What comes next for the Calamar
Farewell to the Libertadores does not erase the experience, but it does mean a quick mental reset is needed. Palermo asked for the performance against Fluminense to serve as a foundation for the upcoming competitions.
There is an immediate objective on that map: sustain the commitment and turn it into results. The team’s own context demands it, because the calendar does not let up and the Copa Argentina remains on the agenda as a concrete route to fighting for something big.
The Copa Argentina, the new focus
While Platense digests the elimination, another story is beginning to take shape in Argentine football: the final stretch of the Copa Argentina. There, Independiente Rivadavia will look to match a historic River record when they face Atlético Tucumán in the next round.
The winner of that clash will be two steps from the trophy and also from qualification for the Libertadores. In the semifinals, Estudiantes or Platense await, a bracket that keeps the big fight alive for several teams.
Meanwhile, the international competition is also producing other major developments. Boca is already among the four best in the Copa Sudamericana and will go on to face Vasco da Gama, in a tie that leaves them with heavy goals ahead.
The map of Argentine teams in cup competitions
The season is entering a hot stretch. Argentine teams remain spread across cup showdowns and decisive knockout ties, with the usual obsession: advance and stay in the fight until the end.
- Platense were eliminated from the Libertadores by Fluminense.
- Independiente Rivadavia faces Atlético Tucumán in the Copa Argentina.
- Boca reached the semifinals of the Sudamericana and will play against Vasco da Gama.
- The clash between Estudiantes and Platense appears as a possible Copa Argentina semifinal.
The picture is clear: every match is now worth far more than three points. And for Argentine clubs, the race remains open on several fronts.
