Fears that the Copa Libertadores has already become a glorified version of the Brazilian Cup were thoroughly confirmed by the group phase of this year’s competition.
All seven Brazilian clubs made it through to the last 16 for the knockout rounds. Botafogo and Gremio even lost their opening two matches but still made the cut with a game to spare.
Flamengo had to dig themselves out of a hole after picking up just one point from their three away games, yet did so with ease, while Sao Paulo shrugged off an awkward start to make it safely through.
This story is from the July 2024 edition of World Soccer.
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This story is from the July 2024 edition of World Soccer.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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