Botafogo Loses to Nacional Potosí in Libertadores Despite Chances

Nacional Potosí defeated Botafogo 1-0 on Wednesday in the first leg of the second stage preliminary round of the Copa Libertadores, a result secured by a goal from Óscar Baldomar shortly after halftime.

Playing at the Estadio Víctor Agustín Ugarte in Potosí, Bolivia, at an altitude of 3,885 meters (approximately 12,746 feet), Nacional Potosí leveraged the challenging conditions to overcome the Brazilian side, who were champions of the tournament in 2024, according to reporting from AP News.

The match saw Botafogo struggle to capitalize on scoring opportunities. UOL Esporte reported that players Barrera, Matheus Martins, and Montoro all had clear chances to score but were unable to convert, with Montoro missing a particularly glaring opportunity with an open goal. The lone goal came from Baldomar, who headed in a cross from Jorge Rojas in the 47th minute.

Elsewhere in the competition, Argentinos Juniors beat Barcelona 1-0, and O’Higgins also won 1-0 against Bahía. Further matches in the second stage of the Libertadores are scheduled for Thursday, featuring Juventud–Guaraní and Deportivo Táchira–Tolima, as reported by AP News.

The return legs will be played next week, determining the eight teams that will advance to the final preliminary round. This final round will award four spots in the group stage of the tournament. The draw for the group stage is scheduled for March 18th, with the first matches taking place the week of April 7th-9th and the competition continuing through late May. The 2026 Copa Libertadores final is slated for November 28th in Montevideo.

The second leg between Nacional Potosí and Botafogo will be played on Wednesday, February 25th at the Nilton Santos stadium in Rio de Janeiro, with Botafogo needing a win to progress in the tournament, according to UOL Esporte.