Barcelona Sc - Botafogo: Botafogo keep same XI for March 3 first leg in Guayaquil
The barcelona sc - botafogo tie opens its decisive first leg on March 3 at 7: 20 p. m. ET, with Botafogo travelling to Estadio Monumental in Guayaquil in a two-legged series that will send the winner into the 2026 Copa Libertadores group stage.
Barcelona Sc - Botafogo set for March 3 showdown
The third and final qualifying round begins with the first leg at Estadio Monumental in Ecuador on Tuesday, March 3, with kick-off listed at 7: 20 p. m. ET; the return fixture is set for the following Tuesday, March 10, at Nilton Santos at the same time. The winner of the two-match tie will secure a place in the Libertadores group stage, and the tournament draw is scheduled for March 19 in Luque, Paraguay.
Botafogo stick with the same starting XI after Nacional Potosí win
Coach Martín Anselmi has kept the exact lineup that started Botafogo’s last Libertadores match, the 2-0 home victory over Nacional Potosí that followed a 1-0 defeat in Bolivia. The club used a young, little-used squad in the Copa Rio, but for this qualifying decider Anselmi reverted to the side that delivered the 2-0 result in the previous round.
How both teams reached this stage
Botafogo advanced from the prior preliminary round with a narrow aggregate margin over Nacional Potosí, a route that extended the club’s long history in qualifying ties; the team has navigated the qualifying stages multiple times in its past. Barcelona SC reached this final qualifying round after a penalty shootout victory over Argentinos Juniors, and the Ecuadorian side has successfully negotiated the qualifying process eight times out of nine attempts.
What fans need to know before kick-off
The first leg on March 3 at Estadio Monumental is the penultimate match before the Libertadores groups are set, and both clubs know the immediate consequence: the winner advances to the group stage. Botafogo arrives having collected three points from three in the opening matches of Brazil’s Serie A this season, while Barcelona SC will lean on the momentum from their penalty success to host the opening game.
The two clubs meet again at Nilton Santos on Tuesday, March 10, at the same scheduled time, and the official draw for the group stage will follow on March 19 in Luque, Paraguay.
