The 2015 Copa Libertadores final stages played from April 28 to August 5, 2015. A total of 16 teams competed in the final stages to decide the champions of the 2015 Copa Libertadores.[1]
The winners and runners-up of each of the eight groups in the second stage qualified for the final stages.
The qualified teams were seeded in the final stages according to their results in the second stage, with the group winners seeded 1–8, and the group runners-up seeded 9–16.[1]
In the final stages, the 16 teams played a single-elimination tournament, with the following rules:[1]
The bracket of the final stages was determined by the seeding as follows:[1]
The first legs were played on April 28 and May 5–7, and the second legs were played on May 5 and 12–14, 2015.[2]
The second leg was suspended after River Plate players were attacked with pepper spray by Boca Juniors fans when the squad returned to the field following halftime, with the match still 0–0 (River Plate leading 1–0 on aggregate).[3] CONMEBOL opened disciplinary proceedings against Boca Juniors, and decided to disqualify them from the tournament on May 16, 2015.[4][5] River Plate advanced to the quarterfinals (Match S1).
UANL won 3–2 on aggregate and advanced to the quarterfinals (Match S2).
Internacional won 5–3 on aggregate and advanced to the quarterfinals (Match S3).
Guaraní won 3–0 on aggregate and advanced to the quarterfinals (Match S4).
Racing won 3–2 on aggregate and advanced to the quarterfinals (Match S4).
Santa Fe won 3–2 on aggregate and advanced to the quarterfinals (Match S3).
Emelec won 2–1 on aggregate and advanced to the quarterfinals (Match S2).
Tied 1–1 on aggregate, Cruzeiro won on penalties and advanced to the quarterfinals (Match S1).
The first legs were played on May 19–21, and the second legs were played on May 26–28, 2015.[6]
River Plate won 3–1 on aggregate and advanced to the semifinals (Match F1).
UANL won 2–1 on aggregate and advanced to the semifinals (Match F2).
Internacional won 2–1 on aggregate and advanced to the semifinals (Match F2).
Guaraní won 1–0 on aggregate and advanced to the semifinals (Match F1).
The first legs were played on July 14–15, and the second legs were played on July 21–22, 2015.[7]
River Plate won 3–1 on aggregate and advanced to the finals.
UANL won 4–3 on aggregate and advanced to the finals.
The finals were played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. If tied on aggregate, the away goals rule would not be used, and 30 minutes of extra time would be played. If still tied after extra time, the penalty shoot-out would be used to determine the winner.[1]
Since UANL are from Mexico, they had to host the first leg regardless of seeding (Regulations Article 3.7b: "El Torneo deberá indefectiblemente finalizar en un país perteneciente al continente sudamericano. Para tal caso, de llegar a las finales un equipo que no pertenece al continente sudamericano, deberá indefectiblemente jugar su primer partido de local." English translation: "The Tournament shall invariably end in a country belonging to the South American continent. Therefore, provided that a team not belonging to the South American continent qualifies to the finals, it shall invariably play the first leg at its home.")[1]
The first leg was played on July 29, and the second leg was played on August 5, 2015.[8]