Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.
Thiago Silva felt he “failed again” after Fluminense were knocked out in the semi-finals of the Copa Libertadores following a penalty shoot-out defeat to Palmeiras.
Fluminense entered the second leg 2-1 down on aggregate, but Hercules sent the tie to penalties with a curling finish from outside of the box in the 82nd minute.
There was little action in either final third, with Fluminense accumulating just 0.18 expected goals (xG) from four shots to Palmeiras’ 0.56 from 12 attempts, only one of which was on target.
Mauricio began the shoot-out, finishing down the middle for Palmeiras, and Silva also scored Fluminense’s first spot-kick.
The decisive moment came when Nonato stepped up for the visitors, with his penalty saved by Carlos Miguel, allowing Marlon Freitas to net the winner as Palmeiras won 5-3 in the shoot-out.
Fluminense are the third Brazilian team Palmeiras have eliminated in the Copa Libertadores semi-finals, following Corinthians (2000) and Atletico Mineiro (2021). The last time they knocked out a domestic rival in the semi-finals, they went on to win the trophy.
Silva, who revealed this would be his final appearance in the competition, was dejected after Fluminense’s elimination.
“Whether we like it or not, no matter what people say about players not feeling the defeat, we deeply feel what the families in the stands and the 4,000 fans up there feel,” said the Fluminense captain.
JUNTOS EM MAIS UMA FINAL DE #LIBERTADORES! AQUI É PALMEIRAS! https://t.co/Klaeg9nd2N
— SE Palmeiras (@Palmeiras) October 22, 2026
“Our sadness comes from looking at them, even from a distance, and seeing the tears in their eyes. That’s why we took so long to leave. Their feelings are ours.
“We really wanted to bring this qualification back to Rio. Some people spent 28 hours on buses to be here. We know the financial difficulties involved in being here.
“I failed again. I’ve failed a lot in my career. Today was just another day. But I’ll always hold my head high. I always strive for victory.
“But football has defeats that leave a negative mark. This wasn’t negative. I leave with my head held high and very proud of my team.
“Sometimes these things happen, but I’m super proud of my group. It’s even sadder because this was my last [Libertadores].”
Palmeiras will play in consecutive Copa Libertadores finals (2025 and 2026) for the third time in their history, having previously done so in the 2020 and 2021 editions, as well as in 1999 and 2000.
They will face either Estudiantes or Flamengo in the showpiece.
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