Image source, Getty Images

Brazil's Palmeiras became the first side to reach this season's semi-finals after winning 4-1 on aggregate against Paraguay's Libertad.

The 1999 champions, who have reached the final four times, will play River Plate of Argentina, after they beat Uruguay’s Nacional 8-2 on aggregate in the quarter-final.

River Plate have made the last two finals - losing to Brazil's Flamengo last year after beating Boca Juniors to claim their fourth title in 2018.

Brazil's Santos progressed after a 4-1 win in the second leg of their tie against Gremio earned them a 5-2 aggregate success.

Argentinian sides Racing and Boca Juniors meet in the last quarter-final, with the first leg finishing 1-0 to Racing. The second leg, on Christmas Eve, will be live on the BBC Red Button, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website.

Remaining quarter-finals

Racing (Arg) v Boca Juniors (Arg) - second leg 24 December (on BBC); first leg 1-0

Semi-finals

Palmeiras (Brz) v River Plate (Arg)

Santos (Brz) v Racing (Arg)/Boca Juniors (Arg)

(First-leg matches to be played 5-7 January, 2021; second-leg matches to be played 12-14 January)

The Copa Libertadores is South America's equivalent of the Champions League, featuring the most successful sides from across the continent.

It was founded in 1960, making this year's competition the 61st in its history.

Argentina's Independiente and Boca Juniors are the two most successful clubs in the competition's history. Independiente have won seven titles while Boca Juniors have reached a record 11 finals - winning the trophy six times.

Brazil's Flamengo are the current champions, but they were knocked out in the last 16 of this year's competition, which has been delayed due to the coronavirus.

The 2020 Copa Libertadores started in January but the group stages were halted in March and did not resume until September.

The competition is now down to the quarter-final stage, with the semi-finals due to be played in the first two weeks of 2021 and the final at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 30 January.

Brazilian all-time football great Pele paid tribute to Barcelona star Lionel Messi after the Argentine forward equalled his goal-scoring record for a single club by netting his 643rd goal for Barca in the 2-2 home draw with Valencia at the weekend.

Messi, 33, drew level with Pele when he followed up to score with a header after his penalty was saved by Valencia keeper Jaume Domenech.

“Like you, I know what it's like to love wearing the same shirt every day,” wrote Pele, now 80, the only player to win the World Cup three times, on Instagram. “Stories like ours, of loving the same club for so long, unfortunately will be increasingly rare in football,” he added.

Messi, who made his Barcelona debut in 2004 at the age of 17, has scored 643 games in 748 games for the Catalan side, while Pele, twice a Copa Libertadores winner with Santos (his club from the age of 15), reached the total in 83 fewer games.

"Congratulations on your historic record, Lionel. But above all, congratulations on your beautiful career at Barcelona,” added Pele. Messi has won the Champions League four times with Barcelona but is yet to win a World Cup with Argentina.

Messi went onto break Pele's record in Barcelona's 3-0 win at Real Valladolid on Tuesday.

Image source, Getty Images

BBC iPlayer

The BBC will show five more games from the 2020 Copa Libertadores, starting with two first-leg matches from the semi-finals.

The second legs of those semi-finals (13 January), and final at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 30 January will also be shown.

All matches will be on the BBC Sport website, Red Button and iPlayer, where they will be available to catch up on for 30 days.

Wednesday, 6 January

River Plate v Palmeiras, semi-final, first leg

00:20-02:30 - BBC Sport website and app, Red Button and BBC iPlayer

Boca Juniors v Santos, semi-final, first leg

22:05-00:15 - BBC Sport website and app, Red Button and BBC iPlayer

BBC Sport

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