Author: Vishwajit Sawant
Aucas – Racing 1:2
In a thrilling match in Group A of the Copa Libertadores, Racing secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Aucas at the Gonzalo Pozo Ripalda stadium in Quito.
The Argentinian side took the lead early on with a lightning strike from Nicolås Reniero in the second minute. Right-back Facundo Mura provided the assist for the opening goal. In the second half, Gabriel Rojas extended Racing’s lead with a well disallowed goal in the 69th minute. Despite Aucas’ best efforts, the team only managed to score a consolation goal through Otero in the 90th minute. The score remained 2-1 in Racing’s favor.
The result has significant implications for Flamengo, as a win over Nublense would solidify their position in Group A. Racing’s victory shows their determination and strengthens their leading position in Group A of the CONMEBOL Libertadores. They now need just one point from their remaining two games. Aucas, on the other hand, does not have his fate in his own hands. They need to win their two games and hope that the other results go in their favor.
Medellín – Nacional 2:1
In an intense match in Group B of the Copa Libertadores, Independiente Medellín emerged victorious with a 2-1 win over Nacional. The match took place at the Atanasio Girardot Stadium in Colombia.
The opening goal was scored by Diego Rodriguez for Independiente Medellín in the12th minute. However, Nacional responded quickly with a goal from Andrés Ibargüen in the 25th minute. In the second half, both teams looked for chances, but it was Medellín who scored again through Quifiones, who found the back of the net in the 68th minute. Despite Nacional’s best efforts, they failed to score an equalizer.
The teams will resume their Libertadores campaign in June. Independiente Medellín will play Metropolitanos, while Nacional will face Internacional. Independiente Medellín overtook Nacional at the top of Group B on goal difference alone.
Bolivar – Barcelona SC 1:0
In Group C, Bolívar showed persistence and won a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Barcelona SC in La Paz, Bolivia.
Throughout the match, Bolivar took control and attacked relentlessly, hitting the post twice. In total, Bolívar had 63% of the possession, with 22 shots. Barcelona defended bravely and tried to find opportunities on the counter-attack. In the final stage, Bolívar gave away a few spaces in defense, but ended up securing victory with a last-minute goal. Substitute Ramiro Vaca delivered a sublime pass with his heel, and Fernåndez calmly finished past the goalkeeper to seal the 1-0 win in the 90th minute.
With this win, Bolívar took the lead in the group standings with 9 points, while Barcelona SC have 3 points. In the next round, Bolivar will face Cerro Portefio at home, while Barcelona SC will visit Palmeiras at Allianz Parque.
Monagas – Colo-Colo 1:1
Monagas and Colo-Colo drew 1-1 in a very tight match in Group F of the Copa Libertadores.
The game, played at the Monumental de Maturin in Venezuela, saw Ramirez score for Monagas, while Bolados equalized for Colo-Colo. In the first half, chances were limited, but Colo-Colo had a slight advantage. Monagas came on strong in the second half, taking the lead through Ruben Ramirez’s header in the 62nd minute. However, Colo-Colo responded late in the game when Bolados took advantage of a rebound in the 86th minute. Colo-Colo goalkeeper De Paul was sent off in the final minutes after committing a foul.
Colo-Colo are in 2nd place in Group F, while Monagas are bottom with 2 games in hand. Both teams will continue their Libertadores campaign in Round 5, with Colo-Colo facing Boca Juniors away on June 6 and Monagas taking on Deportivo Pereira on the same day.
Atlético-MG – Athletico-PR 2:1
Atlético-MG emerged victorious with a 2-1 win over Athletico-PR in the fourth round of the Copa Libertadores group stage. The match, held at Mineirão on Tuesday, saw Paulinho shine with two goals for Atlético-MG.
The first half was dominated by the home side, with 72% possession, and they had 4 shots on goal, but nothing to show for it. In the second half, Alex Santana scored for the visitors against the run of play in the 51st minute. But Eduardo Coudet made changes just after the hour mark. Paulinho equalized the score in the 68th minute and completed the comeback victory in the 87th minute.
With this result, Atlético-MG now have six points in Group G, securing second place, while Athletico-PR remain top with one more point. The game showed Atlético-MG’s resilience and determination, as they fought to secure victory. Paulinho’s impressive performance played a key role in the team’s success, taking them closer to the knockout phase of the tournament.
Alianza Lima – Libertad 1:2
Libertad showed their strength by securing an imposing 2-0 win over Alianza Lima in an away match.
The game, played at the home of Alianza Lima, saw Libertad dominate proceedings. Despite Alianza Lima’s attempts to attack, goalkeeper Martin Silva proved to be a formidable barrier, denying them chances to score. Just before the break, Libertad took advantage of a defensive error by Santiago Garcia, who inadvertently scored an own goal when trying to clear a corner kick in the 45th minute.
Although Alianza Lima managed to find the back of the net through Castillo, the goal was disallowed due to a previous offside detected by the VAR. In the second half, Lorenzo Melgarejo doubled Libertad’s lead in the 55th minute. In the second half, Alianza Lima pulled one back with a goal from Yordi Vilchez in the 90th minute.
With this win, Libertad are now in 3rd place with 6 points in the group standings, while Alianza Lima are just behind with 4 points.