Brazil’s Atletico Mineiro draws at Argentina’s River Plate and reaches Copa Libertadores final

BUENOS AIRES (AP) — Brazil’s Atletico Mineiro drew 0-0 at Argentina’s River Plate on Tuesday and reached the final of the Copa Libertadores for the second time.

The team of veteran striker Hulk had beaten its rivals 3-0 in the first leg of the semifinal.

The festive atmosphere at the full Monumental de Nunez Stadium with more than 80,000 fans did not affect the Brazilian side, which had some of the clearest chances to score.

Atletico’s rival in the decider will be decided on Wednesday, and it is very likely to be fellow Brazilian side Botafogo. The Rio de Janeiro-based team will play at Uruguay’s Penarol after winning the first leg 5-0.

Brazilian teams have won the tournament for the past five years.

The final will be played on Nov. 30 at the same Monumental de Nunez Stadium in Buenos Aires.

Atletico’s win also affected the race to be the last South American qualifier for the 2025 Club World Cup, as it eliminated Olimpia of Paraguay from contention.

Olimpia would have advanced to the 32-team tournament in the United States had River Plate won this Copa Libertadores edition. River Plate already qualified based on its consistent results in the continental competition across four seasons.

FIFA will make the draw for the June 15-July 13 tournament on a date in early December it has not yet confirmed.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

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