Overview
- Dudu equalized in stoppage time after combining with Hulk, canceling Junior Sornoza’s early lead from a VAR-confirmed penalty.
- Gustavo Scarpa received a yellow card that rules him out of the return leg, and Fausto Vera remains unavailable.
- Atlético-MG publicly rejected rumors of an early termination of Hulk’s contract as unfounded, while the forward said he intends to honor his deal through 2026 and has spoken with president Sérgio Coelho.
- Coach Jorge Sampaoli lauded his team’s second-half response at altitude but warned the matchup remains open due to Del Valle’s strong away form.
- With the club sitting 15th in Brazil’s league, the Sudamericana offers a key route to salvage the season, with the finalist to face Universidad de Chile or Lanús on Nov. 22 in Asunción.