Botafogo Faces Uphill Battle After Loss to Nacional Potosí in Libertadores Playoffs

Botafogo endured a tough 1-0 defeat against Nacional Potosí in the first leg of the 2026 Copa Libertadores playoff round, held at the high-altitude Estadio Víctor Agustín Ugarte in Potosí, Bolivia. Baldomar scored the decisive goal early in the second half from a free-kick, handing Nacional Potosí a crucial advantage.

This marked Botafogo's sixth consecutive defeat of the season, a losing streak the club has not experienced since 2020 when they had seven straight losses. The altitude of over 4,000 meters significantly affected the team's performance, as noted by coach Martín Anselmi, who expressed disappointment yet optimism about the upcoming return leg. He stated, "The series is still open. We still have to play 90 minutes. At home, the story will obviously be different."

Botafogo now faces a challenging task in the return leg on February 25 at Estádio Nilton Santos in Rio de Janeiro, where they need to win by at least two goals to advance or by one goal to force a penalty shootout. Despite the struggles in international competition, Botafogo achieved a resounding 4-0 victory over Cruzeiro in the Campeonato Brasileiro, with Danilo scoring twice, complemented by goals from Matheus Martins and Artur, which lifted them to the top of the league standings.

Ahead of the return leg, Botafogo will also face Boavista in the Campeonato Carioca on February 21. Coach Anselmi praised the players' efforts despite the loss and recognized the challenges imposed by the altitude, but remains hopeful that the team can turn things around on home soil.