Flamengo will try to tighten its grip on Group A when it hosts Independiente Medellin at the Maracana on Thursday in a 2026 Copa Libertadores meeting that carries early weight for both clubs. Flamengo opened with a 2-0 away win over Cusco FC, while Independiente Medellin began with a 1-1 draw against Estudiantes.
Bruno Henrique and Arrascaeta scored in the win in Cusco, and Flamengo backed it up with 19 shots to eight as it controlled the game. The Rio club arrives on a three-match winning run after beating Fluminense 2-1 in its last outing, a stretch that has helped steady a season that has not always moved in a straight line.
The numbers still point to a Flamengo side that has enough firepower to make life difficult. It has won 12 of its 24 matches in all competitions this season and scored 46 goals, an average of 1.92 a game. In the Brasileirao, it sits second on 20 points from 10 matches, six behind Palmeiras but with a game in hand, and it did that after winning the 2025 Brasileirao.
For Independiente Medellin, the trip to Rio comes with less room to breathe. Francisco Chaverra scored the equaliser against Estudiantes, with Daniel Catano supplying the assist, but the Colombian side is already chasing the group after opening with a draw. It reached the group stage by eliminating Liverpool and Juventud Las Piedras of Uruguay in the preliminary rounds, yet its domestic form has left it 14th in the Colombian league with 17 points from 15 matches.
That league record — four wins, five draws and six defeats — helps explain why Thursday matters now rather than later. Flamengo is trying to turn an early advantage into control of the section, while Independiente Medellin needs a result to avoid being dragged into catch-up duty before the group has settled. Flamengo will be without Pulgar and Jorginho because of injury, although Everton Cebolinha has been making progress in his recovery from a rib fracture. Carrascal is available in continental competition despite a recent domestic red card, giving Flamengo another option as it tries to make its home opener count.
