Independiente Del Valle Vs Rosario Central: Argentinian Champions Suffer High-Altitude Defeat In Copa Libertadores

Argentinian champions Rosario Central settled for a second-place finish in Group H of Copa Libertadores 2026 after losing to Independiente del Valle at Estadio Banco Guayaquil, Quito, on Wednesday (May 27). With 13 points in the bag, Los Guerreros travelled to Ecuadorean capital for a high-stakes clash between two reigning national champions. But Quito's extreme altitude, some 2,850 meters (9,350 feet) above sea level, was always going to be a challenge for the visitors. Then, a penalty (Junior Sornoza, 64') sealed their fate. While Independiente celebrated the group win, on head-to-head points (4 to 1), Jorge Almiron & Co. returned heartbroken from the Andes. Both teams, however, advanced to the round of 16. Meanwhile, Venezuela's Universidad Central (nine points) head to Copa Sudamericana as the third-place team. Libertad of Paraguay finished without a point. They lost to visiting Universidad 1-0 in their final fixture.

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