Author: Vishwajit Sawant
Veiga shines in Palmeiras’ win over Barcelona
Palmeiras secured a 2-0 away win over Barcelona in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on Wednesday.
Raphael Veiga shone once again for Palmeiras, opening the scoring from the penalty spot (45’+3′). Captain Gustavo Gómez (47′) scored the second goal two minutes into the second half to seal the win. The victory turned a little sour for the Brazilians as defender Murilo left the field injured in the 29th minute and was replaced by Luan.
It was a tight game, as there wasn’t much difference in the possession statistics, with 48% to 52% in favor of the visitors. There were also a total of 11 saves made by the goalkeepers.
With the result, the Brazilian team moved up to second place in Group C of the competition. In the next round, Palmeiras will face last-placed Bolívar to take the lead.
Bolívar beat Cerro Porteño 4-0
In the other Group C clash, Bolívar put in an impressive performance against Cerro Porteño, securing a 4-0 win.
Gabriel Villamil opened the scoring for Bolívar in the 18th minute, and the lead was extended just five minutes later through an own goal from Robert Piris Da Motta (23′). Diego Bejarano scored the third goal in the 25th minute, before Patricio Rodríguez (49′) scored at the start of the second half to complete the rout.
The only blemish on Bolívar’s performance was the red card shown to Roberto Fernández in the 86th minute for violent conduct, just a minute after the VAR had already analyzed and canceled his red card. Cerro Porteño had almost two thirds of the possession and made a total of 18 shots, while Bolívar had 13.
The win keeps Bolívar top of Group C on goal difference, while Cerro Porteño are in last place.
Two goals from Igor Gomes help Atlético-MG beat Alianza Lima
Atlético-MG won a comfortable 2-0 victory over Alianza Lima in Group G, with two goals from Igor Gomes.
The Brazilian side dominated the first half, with 71% possession, and created five great chances, while Lima failed to get a shot off. The hosts failed to take their chances, with Hulk’s shot (45′ + 8′) saved by goalkeeper Angelo Campos from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time. Igor Gomes was the star of the game, opening the scoring in the 59th minute. Igor scored the second goal of the night just nine minutes later, in the 68th minute, sealing the victory for the Brazilian side.
Overall, it was an important win for Atlético-MG, with the team registering 31 shots in total, 9 of which were on target.
With the result, Atlético-MG opened their account with their first points in the competition, while Alianza Lima remained in second place.
Drama at the end and a 2-2 draw between Internacional and Nacional
Internacional and Nacional drew 2-2 on Wednesday in Group B.
Gabriel Mercado put Internacional ahead in the 11th minute, but Diego Zabala equalized for Nacional in the 38th minute. The game seemed to be heading for a draw, until Carlos De Peña scored a late goal in the 83rd minute to give Internacional the lead. However, Fabián Noguera (90’+1′) found the back of the net in injury time to secure a hard-fought point for Nacional.
Internacional dominated every aspect of the game, with 71% possession and 21 shots, 10 of which hit the post. Nacional are struggling to get a foothold in the game and may feel lucky to come away with a point.
The result leaves Nacional top of Group B on 7 points, while Internacional are in second place, 2 points behind the leaders on 5 points.
Independiente Medellín secure comfortable win over Metropolitanos FC
Independiente Medellín beat Metropolitanos FC 4-2 in Group B on Wednesday.
It was a feast of goals in the first half, with the Colombian side getting off to a flying start, Carlos Gruezo scoring in the first minute. However, they recovered quickly and leveled the score with an own goal from Daniel Londoño in the 15th minute. Andrés Cadavid put the hosts ahead in the 25th minute and Miguel Monsalve (34′) added another goal nine minutes later. Luciano Pons (45′) scored just before half-time to make it 4-1.
Metropolitanos pulled one back in injury time through Jhon Marchán (90’+3′), but it was too little too late as Independiente Medellín secured a comfortable win.
Both teams have been inconsistent in their last 10 games, with Medellín having 4 wins, 3 draws and 3 defeats, while Metropolitanos have won five and lost five.
Advíncula and Villa score in Colo Colo’s defeat to Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors secured a comfortable 2-0 win over Colo Colo in Group F. Luis Advíncula (13′) opened the scoring for Boca early on. Sebastián Villa (65′) scored the second goal with a well-placed shot. Colo Colo’s task became more difficult when Carlos Palacios (67′) was sent off midway through the second half.
This could have been an even bigger win for the Argentinians, but they missed 2 of their 3 big chances, also hitting the post once.
With the result, Boca Juniors maintain a comfortable lead in Group F, while Colo Colo are second after their first defeat in the competition.