The 2015 Copa Libertadores final stages played from April 28 to August 5, 2015. A total of 16 teams competed in the final stages to decide the champions of the 2015 Copa Libertadores.
Qualified teams The winners and runners-up of each of the eight groups in the second stage qualified for the final stages.
GroupWinnersRunners-up1 Santa Fe Atlético Mineiro2 Corinthians São Paulo3 Cruzeiro Universitario de Sucre4 Internacional Emelec5 Boca Juniors Montevideo Wanderers6 Tigres UANL River Plate7 Atlético Nacional Estudiantes8 Racing Guaraní
Seeding The qualified teams were seeded in the final stages according to their results in the second stage, with the group winners seeded 1–8, and the group runners-up seeded 9–16.
Format In the final stages, the 16 teams played a single-elimination tournament, with the following rules: Each tie was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis, with the higher-seeded team hosting the second leg. However, CONMEBOL required that the second leg of the finals had to be played in South America, i.e., if there was a finalist from Mexico, they would have to host the first leg regardless of seeding. In the round of 16, quarterfinals, and semifinals, if tied on aggregate, the away goals rule would be used. If still tied, the penalty shoot-out would be used to determine the winner (no extra time would be played). In the finals, if tied on aggregate, the away goals rule would not be used, and 30 minutes of extra time would be played. If still tied after extra time, the penalty shoot-out would be used to determine the winner. If there were two semifinalists from the same association, they would have to play each other.
Bracket The bracket of the final stages was determined by the seeding as follows: Round of 16: Match A: Seed 1 vs. Seed 16 Match B: Seed 2 vs. Seed 15 Match C: Seed 3 vs. Seed 14 Match D: Seed 4 vs. Seed 13 Match E: Seed 5 vs. Seed 12 Match F: Seed 6 vs. Seed 11 Match G: Seed 7 vs. Seed 10 Match H: Seed 8 vs. Seed 9 Quarterfinals: Match S1: Winner A vs. Winner H Match S2: Winner B vs. Winner G Match S3: Winner C vs. Winner F Match S4: Winner D vs. Winner E Semifinals: (if there were two semifinalists from the same association, they would have to play each other) Match F1: Winner S1 vs. Winner S4 Match F2: Winner S2 vs. Winner S3 Finals: Winner F1 vs. Winner F2
Round of 16 The first legs were played on April 28 and May 5–7, and the second legs were played on May 5 and 12–14, 2015.
Match A
The second leg was suspended after River Plate players were attacked with pepper spray by Boca Juniors fans when the squad returned to the field following halftime, with the match still 0–0 (River Plate leading 1–0 on aggregate). CONMEBOL opened disciplinary proceedings against Boca Juniors, and decided to disqualify them from the tournament on May 16, 2015. River Plate advanced to the quarterfinals (Match S1).
Match B
Tigres UANL won 3–2 on aggregate and advanced to the quarterfinals (Match S2).
Match C
Internacional won 5–3 on aggregate and advanced to the quarterfinals (Match S3).
Match D
Guaraní won 3–0 on aggregate and advanced to the quarterfinals (Match S4).
Match E
Racing won 3–2 on aggregate and advanced to the quarterfinals (Match S4).
Match F
Santa Fe won 3–2 on aggregate and advanced to the quarterfinals (Match S3).
Match G
Emelec won 2–1 on aggregate and advanced to the quarterfinals (Match S2).
Match H
Tied 1–1 on aggregate, Cruzeiro won on penalties and advanced to the quarterfinals (Match S1).
Quarterfinals The first legs were played on May 19–21, and the second legs were played on May 26–28, 2015.
Match S1
River Plate won 3–1 on aggregate and advanced to the semifinals (Match F1).
Match S2
Tigres UANL won 2–1 on aggregate and advanced to the semifinals (Match F2).
Match S3
Internacional won 2–1 on aggregate and advanced to the semifinals (Match F2).
Match S4
Guaraní won 1–0 on aggregate and advanced to the semifinals (Match F1).
Semifinals The first legs were played on July 14–15, and the second legs were played on July 21–22, 2015.
Match F1
River Plate won 3–1 on aggregate and advanced to the finals.
Match F2
Tigres UANL won 4–3 on aggregate and advanced to the finals.
Finals
The finals were played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. If tied on aggregate, the away goals rule would not be used, and 30 minutes of extra time would be played. If still tied after extra time, the penalty shoot-out would be used to determine the winner.
Since Tigres UANL are from Mexico, they had to host the first leg regardless of seeding (Regulations Article 3.7b: "El Torneo deberá indefectiblemente finalizar en un país perteneciente al continente sudamericano. Para tal caso, de llegar a las finales un equipo que no pertenece al continente sudamericano, deberá indefectiblemente jugar su primer partido de local." English translation: "The Tournament shall invariably end in a country belonging to the South American continent. Therefore, provided that a team not belonging to the South American continent qualifies to the finals, it shall invariably play the first leg at its home.")
The first leg was played on July 29, and the second leg was played on August 5, 2015.
References
External links
Copa Libertadores 2015, CONMEBOL.com