Author: Vishwajit Sawant
Palmeiras beat SC Barcelona again
Palmeiras recover in thrilling fashion to beat Barcelona-EQU 4-2. In a rollercoaster match, the tide turned dramatically when Palmeiras, spurred on by their passionate fans, recovered from a 2-0 deficit. Goals from Gómez (46′), Piquerez (58′), Artur (70′) and Endrick (86′) sealed the win, with Fydriszewski (33′, 38′) scoring both goals for the Ecuadorian side. After a lacklustre start, Palmeiras found their rhythm in the second half, showing technical skill and resilience to secure an impressive comeback victory.
Internacional draw with Nacional
Nacional and Internacional drew 1-1 and their position in Group B remains uncertain. At Parque Central, Nacional’s attacking efforts were thwarted by Internacional’s solid defense, leaving the fans in the stands disappointed. Alan Patrick opened the scoring for Internacional in the 17th minute, but Nacional recovered and had chances to equalize, including a missed opportunity by Ignacio Ramírez. In the end, Nacional got the equalizer in the 89th minute, with Damiani’s header from a free-kick. With the draw, the race for the group standings intensifies, with Internacional leading by a single point.
River Plate beat Fluminense with a flourish
Fluminense lose to River Plate and reduce their hopes of qualifying. Fluminense suffered a 2-0 defeat to River Plate. The Argentinian side dominated early on, with Solari’s goal disallowed after six minutes. Tension grew between the teams, leading to clashes on the pitch. River Plate opened the scoring with Beltrán’s finish in the 49th minute, while Barco (90’+7) sealed the win with a penalty in stoppage time. Fluminense struggled to convert their chances, relying on the heroics of their goalkeeper to prevent further goals.
Corinthians’ Libertadores journey comes to an end
Corinthians suffered a devastating 3-0 defeat to Independiente del Valle, ending their Libertadores campaign and marking the fall of yet another Brazilian team to the Ecuadorian side. In a first half full of defensive problems, Michael Hoyos (17′, 24′) scored twice, while Independiente del Valle missed several other clear chances. Despite a disallowed goal for Corinthians, the team remained lacklustre in attack. To make matters worse, former Corinthians player Sornoza sealed the win with a precise finish in the 69th minute. Corinthians now want to finish third to secure a place in the Copa Sudamericana.
Flamengo defeats Racing and advances to the Libertadores Round of 16
Flamengo’s win over Racing secured them a place in the last 16 of the Libertadores. In a very tight match at the Maracanã, Flamengo won the game 2-1. Wesley opened the scoring for the Rubro-Negro in the 36th minute, but Matías Rojas quickly equalized in the 49th minute for Racing at the start of the second half. Just when the game seemed to be dragging on, Flamengo introduced Victor Hugo, who became the hero with a late goal in the 83rd minute. The win takes Flamengo through to the next stage of the Libertadores, depending on other results in the group.