Author: Vishwajit Sawant
Fluminense draw with Sporting Cristal
In an intense match on Tuesday, Fluminense and Sporting Cristal drew 1-1 in the 6th round of the Libertadores group stage. Germán Cano opened the scoring for Fluminense with a fantastic strike from the edge of the box, his sixth goal of the tournament. However, Sporting Cristal reacted and equalized through Brenner, who headed in a corner kick. Fluminense had their chances in the second half, but failed to score the winning goal. With the draw, Fluminense took the lead in Group D with 10 points, while Sporting Cristal, despite being eliminated from the Libertadores, secured a place in the South American competition by finishing in 3rd place.
River Plate secure Libertadores knockout stage berth with win over The Strongest
In a crucial match on Tuesday night, River Plate booked their place in the next round of the Libertadores by beating The Strongest at home. With this result, the Argentinian team finished second in their group. River Plate started the game with the clear intention of scoring an early goal and securing their place in the knockout phase. They created several chances to score, with Rodrigo Aliendro opening the scoring in the 14th minute. Nicolás De La Cruz and Nacho Fernández were instrumental in creating chances, while the defense stood strong against The Strongest’s occasional threats. In the second half, River Plate continued to dominate and Miguel Borja sealed the win with a late goal to seal qualification.
Athletico-PR secure top spot in Group G with convincing 3-0 win over Alianza Lima
Athletico-PR showed their dominance on Tuesday night at the Ligga Arena by beating Alianza Lima 3-0 in the last round of the Libertadores group stage. Vitor Bueno opened the scoring with a fine strike into the left corner of the net. The first half was marked by a lack of precision from both teams, with Alianza struggling to convert their chances. In the second half, Vitor Roque took center stage, first being denied by a save from Angelo Campos, but then making no mistake with a precise finish to double the lead. Roque completed his brace at the end of the game, sealing Athletico-PR’s comprehensive 3-0 victory. With the result, Athletico-PR secured first place in Group G with 13 points, while Alianza Lima finished bottom of the group, missing out on further continental action.
Atlético-MG advance to the last 16 with 1-1 draw against Libertad-PAR
Atlético-MG booked their place in the last 16 of the Copa Libertadores with a 1-1 draw against Libertad-PAR at the Defensores del Chaco in Asunción. The result was enough for Atlético-MG to finish second in Group G, collecting 10 points. In the first half, Libertad-PAR created several chances to score, but goalkeeper Everson made crucial saves to keep Atlético-MG in the game. In the second half, Atlético-MG struggled to find their rhythm when Bareiro opened the scoring with a header. However, the introduction of Luiz Felipe Scolari’s tactical changes paid off, as midfielder Igor Gomes equalized just two minutes after coming on. With the draw, Atlético-MG advanced to the next stage of the tournament alongside Libertad-PAR, who secured a place in the Copa Sudamericana.
In Group H, Paraguay’s Olympia beat Melgar 4-1 to take first place. The Peruvians finished last. In a parallel match in the quartet, Argentinian away side Patronato narrowly beat Atlético Nacional, scoring in the 81st minute, but the Colombians went through 1/8. And Patronato went to the South American Cup.