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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) -The quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores begin Wednesday with defending champion Boca Juniors hosting old nemesis Atlas of Mexico, while three-time champion Sao Paulo faces Brazilian rival Fluminense.
On Thursday, Mexico's America hosts two-time champion Santos of Brazil, while Argentina's San Lorenzo faces Liga de Quito of Ecuador in Buenos Aires.
"It's important to win, but it's also important to score goals when playing away," Atlas striker Ulises Mendivil said.
Boca Juniors and Atlas already played twice against each other in the group stage this year. Boca Juniors won 3-0 in Buenos Aires and Atlas won 3-1 in Guadalajara. Atlas won the group, one point ahead of Boca.
The Argentines advanced past Cruzeiro of Brazil in the round-of-16, while Atlas eliminated Argentina's Lanus.
The match between Sao Paulo and Fluminense guarantees a Brazilian club in the semifinals of Latin America's premier club competition. It is the only matchup between group winners. Fluminense, actually, had the competition's best record among all clubs.
Sao Paulo reached the quarterfinals by beating Uruguay's Nacional, while Fluminense eliminated Colombia's Atletico Nacional.
All eyes will be on striker Adriano, playing with Sao Paulo on a loan from Italy's Inter Milan.
"He's an expert header. We have to be alert when the ball is crossed into the penalty area so we won't be surprised," Fluminense defender Roger said.
Sao Paulo is looking for its fourth Copa Libertadores title, while Fluminense has reached the quarterfinals for the first time.
The American-Santos and San Lorenzo-Liga de Quito quarterfinals pit clubs who finished second in their first-round groups.
America earned a stunning 5-4 aggregate victory over Flamengo in the round of 16, erasing a 4-2 first-leg home loss with a 3-0 victory at Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
Santos, on the other hand, breezed through Colombia's Cucuta Deportivo with consecutive 2-0 victories. The Brazilian side is seeking its first Copa Libertadores title since consecutive championships in 1962 and 1963, when Pele played for the club.
