Brazil's Atletico Mineiro draws at Argentina's River Plate and reaches Copa Libertadores final

BUENOS AIRES (AP) — Brazil’s Atletico Mineiro drew 0-0 at Argentina’s River Plate on Tuesday and reached the final of the Copa Libertadores for the second time.

The team of veteran striker Hulk had beaten its rivals 3-0 in the first leg of the semifinal.

The festive atmosphere at the full Monumental de Nunez Stadium with more than 80,000 fans did not affect the Brazilian side, which had some of the clearest chances to score.

Atletico's rival in the decider will be decided on Wednesday, and it is very likely to be fellow Brazilian side Botafogo. The Rio de Janeiro-based team will play at Uruguay's Penarol after winning the first leg 5-0.

Brazilian teams have won the tournament for the past five years.

The final will be played on Nov. 30 at the same Monumental de Nunez Stadium in Buenos Aires.

Atletico’s win also affected the race to be the last South American qualifier for the 2025 Club World Cup, as it eliminated Olimpia of Paraguay from contention.

Olimpia would have advanced to the 32-team tournament in the United States had River Plate won this Copa Libertadores edition. River Plate already qualified based on its consistent results in the continental competition across four seasons.

FIFA will make the draw for the June 15-July 13 tournament on a date in early December it has not yet confirmed.

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Players of Brazil's Atletico Mineiro celebrate at the end of a Copa Libertadores semifinal second leg soccer match against Argentina's River Plate at Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. Atletico Mineiro won 3-0 on aggregate. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Players of Brazil's Atletico Mineiro celebrate at the end of a Copa Libertadores semifinal second leg soccer match against Argentina's River Plate at Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. Atletico Mineiro won 3-0 on aggregate. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Paulinho of Brazil's Atletico Mineiro celebrates at the end of a Copa Libertadores semifinal second leg soccer match against Argentina's River Plate at Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. Atletico Mineiro won 3-0 on aggregate. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Alan Franco of Brazil's Atletico Mineiro celebrates at the end of a Copa Libertadores semifinal second leg soccer match against Argentina's River Plate at Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. Atletico Mineiro won 3-0 on aggregate. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)

A fan of Argentina's River Plate looks on at the end of a Copa Libertadores semifinal second leg soccer match against Brazil's Atletico Mineiro at Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. Atletico Mineiro won 3-0 on aggregate. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)

Fans of Argentina's River Plate launch fireworks before the start of a Copa Libertadores semifinal second leg soccer match against Brazil's Atletico Mineiro at Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)

Goalkeeper Everson of Brazil's Atletico Mineiro celebrates at the end of a Copa Libertadores semifinal second leg soccer match against Argentina's River Plate at Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. Atletico Mineiro won 3-0 on aggregate. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Guilherme Arana of Brazil's Atletico Mineiro and teammates celebrate at the end of a Copa Libertadores semifinal second leg soccer match against Argentina's River Plate at Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. Atletico Mineiro won 3-0 on aggregate. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Fans of Argentina's River Plate watch a Copa Libertadores semifinal second leg soccer match against Brazil's Atletico Mineiro at Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Franco Mastantuono of Argentina's River Plate, center, and Junior Alonso of Brazil's Atletico Mineiro battle for the ball during a Copa Libertadores semifinal second leg soccer match at Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)

ALEPPO, Syria (AP) — First responders on Sunday entered a contested neighborhood in Syria’ s northern city of Aleppo after days of deadly clashes between government forces and Kurdish-led forces. Syrian state media said the military was deployed in large numbers.

The clashes broke out Tuesday in the predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Achrafieh and Bani Zaid after the government and the Syrian Democratic Forces, the main Kurdish-led force in the country, failed to make progress on how to merge the SDF into the national army. Security forces captured Achrafieh and Bani Zaid.

The fighting between the two sides was the most intense since the fall of then-President Bashar Assad to insurgents in December 2024. At least 23 people were killed in five days of clashes and more than 140,000 were displaced amid shelling and drone strikes.

The U.S.-backed SDF, which have played a key role in combating the Islamic State group in large swaths of eastern Syria, are the largest force yet to be absorbed into Syria's national army. Some of the factions that make up the army, however, were previously Turkish-backed insurgent groups that have a long history of clashing with Kurdish forces.

The Kurdish fighters have now evacuated from the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood to northeastern Syria, which is under the control of the SDF. However, they said in a statement they will continue to fight now that the wounded and civilians have been evacuated, in what they called a “partial ceasefire.”

The neighborhood appeared calm Sunday. The United Nations said it was trying to dispatch more convoys to the neighborhoods with food, fuel, blankets and other urgent supplies.

Government security forces brought journalists to tour the devastated area, showing them the damaged Khalid al-Fajer Hospital and a military position belonging to the SDF’s security forces that government forces had targeted.

The SDF statement accused the government of targeting the hospital “dozens of times” before patients were evacuated. Damascus accused the Kurdish-led group of using the hospital and other civilian facilities as military positions.

On one street, Syrian Red Crescent first responders spoke to a resident surrounded by charred cars and badly damaged residential buildings.

Some residents told The Associated Press that SDF forces did not allow their cars through checkpoints to leave.

“We lived a night of horror. I still cannot believe that I am right here standing on my own two feet,” said Ahmad Shaikho. “So far the situation has been calm. There hasn’t been any gunfire.”

Syrian Civil Defense first responders have been disarming improvised mines that they say were left by the Kurdish forces as booby traps.

Residents who fled are not being allowed back into the neighborhood until all the mines are cleared. Some were reminded of the displacement during Syria’s long civil war.

“I want to go back to my home, I beg you,” said Hoda Alnasiri.

Associated Press journalist Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut contributed to this report.

Sandbag barriers used as fighting positions by Kurdish fighters, left inside a destroyed mosque in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

Burned vehicles at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

People flee the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

A Syrian military police convoy enters the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

Burned vehicles and ammunitions left at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)