River Plate thrashed Colo Colo 4-0 as a local at the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires to secure first place in group F of the Copa Libertadores and the consequent qualification for the round of 16 of the maximum continental tournament. Agustín Palavecino, the Uruguayan Nicolás De la Cruz, Héctor David Martínez and Esequiel Barco scored the goals for the Millionaire, who had a sweet reunion with his audience after the early elimination in the local League Cup against Tigre in the quarterfinals. Although River had complications in putting together his team due to ten casualties due to covid-19, injuries and suspensions, Marcelo Gallardo’s team went from less to more and achieved a victory that allowed him to reach 13 points and become unattainable for his groupmates , while Colo Colo and Fortaleza share second place with 7 points, far from Alianza Lima, which closes the area with just one.
River had a furious start with a header from Héctor David Martínez in minute 4 that went just wide, but the ‘Cacique’ responded with two arrivals from Juan Martín Lucero that did not end in a goal. River gradually raised his level and in the 41st minute he managed to open the scoreboard with a good combination of Enzo Fernández and Nicolás De la Cruz, who took a low center that found the scoring deflection of Agustin Palavecino to overcome the resistance of goalkeeper Brayan Cortés.
In the second part, River had a very solid half hour that allowed him to seal a win that complicated Colo Colo’s aspirations to reach the round of 16 of the tournament. In the 52nd minute, Julián Álvarez put in a center from left to right that Enzo Fernández cushioned so that Nicholas De la Cruz header will push the ball into the net without resistance from the ‘Cacique’. In minute 66 it was the same Julián Álvarez who sent a center for the deviation of Emanuel Mammana and the arrival alone and in front of the door of Hector David Martinez.
Brayan Cortés had two key interventions in this moment of intensity for River but in the 68th minute De la Cruz took a cross shot that Julián Álvarez stole from Emiliano Amor to find Ezekiel Boatwhich defined the first suit of Cortés.
Colo Colo, who at that point needed to score for the heads-up match on the last day with Fortaleza, had a great chance in the 74th minute with Solari hitting the ball off the crossbar and on the rebound a popcorn from Lucero that required an impressive stretch of the youthful goalkeeper Ezequiel Centurión.
On the last day of this group F, River will be the home of the bottom side Alianza Lima, while Colo Colo and Fortaleza will define the second passport to the round of 16 in a heads-up match with a goal difference that benefits the Brazilian team.
The Brazilian champion advances to the round of 16
Atletico Mineirowith a brace from Hulk and a goal from Sávio, beat Independiente del Valle this Thursday 3-1, consolidated its lead in Group D and qualified for the round of 16 one day early. The Brazilian champion now has 18 games without losing in the Libertadores. Hulk scored in the first and second half, and Sávio put the icing on the cake in added time, after William Vargas reduced the difference for Independiente. The Belo Horizonte team reached 11 points with one game to go and opened a lead of 3 over Deportes Tolima, which follows them in the standings, and an even greater distance over Independiente (5) and América Mineiro (2). ), his backyard rival and already eliminated. On the last day, next Wednesday, a draw at home against Tolima is enough for Mineiro to finish as leader of the group, while the Colombian team needs to add to guarantee their classification without depending on the result of Independiente, which will host América Mineiro and still has a chance to climb to second place and keep the other quota.
The Brazilian champion, commanded by Argentine coach Antonio ‘El Turco’ Mohamed, won despite his significant casualties, since he could not count on goalkeeper Everson (covid) or attackers Keno and Eduardo Vargas due to injury. He also had to leave Argentine Matías Zaracho out of the game at the last minute due to injury. Atlético Mineiro, before 28,800 spectators at the Mineirao stadium in Belo Horizonte, only needed a minute to generate a dangerous play, when in a face-to-face goalkeeper Moisés Ramírez prevented the striker Hulk, who received an assist inside the area, opened the scoring prematurely. The initial pressure gave results at 8 minutes, when Hulk He received a perfect pass from Allan inside the area and shot to the right of the goal defended by Ramírez to open the scoring.
Despite the partial advantage and playing at home, Mineiro backed off their line of pressure, preferred to play the ball in their field and tried to take advantage of Independiente’s desperation to launch counterattacks with the Argentine Nacho Fernández, Ademir and Hulk, who completed 18 goals ( 10 in the Libertadores) in 19 games played this year. This position allowed the Ecuadorian club to generate dangerous plays, especially on the left, and dominate the game in the last twenty minutes of the first half. In one of those attacks, Bauman, after receiving an assist from Sornoza, crashed the ball into a Rafael goalpost. And in minute 31, Bauman again, after a move by Sornoza, almost equalized the score.
Despite the apparent dominance of Independiente, Atlético Mineiro generated the most dangerous plays, mainly in the counterattacks that came with Nacho Fernández and Ademir. For the second half, the visitors went on the attack, but in the 56th minute Hulk widened the difference by receiving a deep pass from Nathan, dominating inside the area and overcoming Ramírez with a high-class lob.
With the two-goal advantage, ‘El Turco’ preferred to bet on managing the advantage and sent Mariano to the pitch at the wheel in place of striker Eduardo Sasha. That position allowed the Ecuadorian team to increase their arrivals at Rafael’s goal, mainly with Chavez and Sornoza, and almost allowed Sornoza to discount in the 30th minute. Independiente did manage to reduce the distance in the 36th minute with a goal from the right side Vargas after an attack from the left.
Encouraged by the goal, the visitor went on the attack in the last ten minutes and in the 8 minutes of the second half, pushing back a Mineiro who still preferred to wait for the counterattacks. The strategy returned to yield results when, in the 50th minute, Savio scored the third.
Deportivo Cali thrash Always Ready
Deportivo Cali thrashed Always Ready 3-0 this Thursday in the fifth day of group E, a result with which he assumes the leadership of the area and that brings him closer to the round of 16. The Colombians are first with eight points and beat Corinthians by goal difference, while Boca Juniors is third with seven and the Bolivian team is last, and is already eliminated, with four.
Despite the fact that the field was heavy due to the downpour that fell throughout the afternoon at the Deportivo Cali stadium, the Azucareros took possession of the ball and began to cause damage in the visiting area. There, Yony González, Teo Gutiérrez and Vásquez were key, who were a headache for a defense that suffered excessively from the conditions of the grass. That’s how the 1-0 came, in a counterattack in which Teo joined González, who from the right flank sent a pass into the area to Vasquez who sent the ball into the back of the net.
The local team continued to attack and had several more opportunities to widen the gap with their offensive trident but found themselves with a lack of aim and the good performance of the Paraguayan goalkeeper Arnaldo Giménez. The Always Ready, who suffered many difficulties to create opportunities, had the clearest in the 44th minute when the Caleño center-back Miguel Nazarit delivered poorly at the start and the ball was left to the Colombian Gustavo Torres, who took a shot that went close to the goal by William of Amores.
In the second half, Deportivo Cali maintained dominance but were not as aggressive in those first few minutes as in the first half. However, he managed to make it 2-0 in a play in which winger Santiago Mosquera sent a chopped cross, which was passed to veteran central defender Nelson Cabrera and left to Vásquez. who celebrated his double.
After that play, those led by Dudamel took the opportunity to attack their rival again, led by a sharp Teo Gutiérrez who accommodated his team in the opposite field. The game got worse for the Bolivians when the winger Marc Enouba was expelled in the 69th minute for a double warning after fouling flycatcherwho four minutes later made it 3-0 after receiving a low cross from Vásquez that he sent to the back of the net and made Dudamel celebrate.
After that goal, the hosts slowed down and celebrated a key victory ahead of their aspirations to qualify for the round of 16. On the last day, Cali will visit Boca Juniors at La Bombonera next Thursday, where they will qualify with a draw, while Always Ready will judge Corinthians.