Fluminense held Independiente Rivadavia to a 0:0 draw in the Copa Libertadores Round of 16 on 11 August 2026. The hosts controlled territory but could not find the breakthrough they sought against a disciplined away side. By then the match had settled into a tactical battle where neither team wanted to take unnecessary risks.
Fluminense came out with intent, pressing high and looking to impose their possession game. L. Costa picked up a yellow card in the 17th minute after a late challenge, while Ignacio went off the same way for the hosts on the stroke of half-time. Hercules and R. Castillo came on together at 46 minutes as Fluminense pushed for a winner.
The visitors grew into the game and threatened more as it progressed. Hulk replaced Arana in the 55th minute, adding pace to the attack. Nonato was cautioned in the 70th minute as tensions rose. Rivadavia brought on Villalba and Salas together in the 79th minute, looking to exploit the space they had found.
Fluminense dominated possession at 74 per cent but could not convert it into clear-cut opportunities. They registered 136 attacks compared to 90 for their opponents, yet created zero big chances while Independiente Rivadavia managed one. The hosts had nine shots off target and three on target, while the visitors matched that with three on target from eight attempts.
What the statistics showed was a match decided by fine margins. Fluminense's expected goals stood at 0.7, Rivadavia at 0.44, but neither side could find the net. The home side made 667 passes to 233 for the visitors, yet the final third entries told the real story — 111 to 41.
And here's the thing about this result. Fluminense move to eight points from six games, sitting second in their group. Independiente Rivadavia remain top with 16 points from six matches, having gone unbeaten so far in the competition. One goal would have changed everything, but neither side could find it.
