Author: Serg Atrakhov, Vishwajit Sawant
Olimpia Asuncion (Par) – Fluminense (Bra) – 1:3
In a surprising turnaround on Thursday (31), Fluminense made a triumphant return to the Copa Libertadores semi-finals, securing a 3-1 victory over Olimpia in Paraguay. The victory came after a 15-year break for the team from Rio de Janeiro, who will now face Internacional in the next stage of the tournament.
Young striker John Kennedy played a key role in the win, scoring the first goal in a quick counter-attack during the first half and assisting the second goal, scored by Germán Cano. The Argentinian striker rounded off the scoring with a third goal in extra time, solidifying his position as the tournament’s top scorer with nine goals. In the 72nd minute, the hosts were outnumbered – Cardoso received his second yellow card. Olimpia managed to score a consolation goal through Zabala at the end of the first half, but it wasn’t enough to overturn Fluminense’s lead.
The 5-2 aggregate scoreline in Fluminense’s favor shows their dominance over the Paraguayan side, having also secured a 2-0 win at the Maracanã in a previous match. This triumph marks only the second time in their history that Fluminense have reached the semi-finals of the Libertadores, as their previous attempt in 2008 led to a painful defeat on penalties to LDU in the final.
Fluminense have already won 9 million 150 thousand in prizes (for comparison, Inter have won 9 million 150 thousand). For reaching the final, the winner will receive an extra 7 million. Perhaps Flu is the favorite in this duo. The club is currently in the top five in the league, ahead of Inter (in 14th place) by ten points. By the way, in July they played at the Maracanã on matchday 14. Diniz beat Eduardo 2-0.
The semi-final against Internacional promises to be a thrilling encounter, with the base dates set for September 27 and October 4. Fluminense secured the advantage of playing the first leg at the iconic Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Conmebol is expected to confirm the exact dates and times of the matches shortly.
Couples in the semi-final
- Boca Juniors (Arg) – Palmeiras (Bra)
- Internacional (Bra) – Fluminense (Bra)
Conmebol will soon confirm the exact dates and times of the semi-finals. Preliminarily, it will be September 27 and October 4. Palmeiras will play the first leg at the Bombonera and then host Boca at Allianz Parque. Fluminense start at home in the Maracanã.