:format(webp)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/grupoclarin/UFVXXEQRTJGC5BGSY3W4NDEWTA.jfif "Argentinos lost to Independiente del Valle in Ecuador and finished second in the Libertadores")
Argentinos Juniors lost 3-2, on the hour, in their visit to Independiente del Valle of Ecuador in the game of the sixth and last date and could not maintain first place in Group E of the Copa Libertadores de América.
The two teams had already qualified for the round of 16 but El Bicho was left with 11 points and fell to second place, while Independiente was first with 12 points.
Independiente del Valle took the lead 23 minutes into the first half through Lorenzo Farabelli, while before the closing of the initial stage, at 44 minutes, Mateo Carabajal, against, gave Argentinos equality. In the add-on, at three minutes, Lucas Díaz put the Ecuadorians ahead, and at 42 minutes Leonardo Heredia scored the equalizer for El Bicho. But at 45, Kevin Rodríguez scored the third for Independiente.
The final position of each one will be relevant in the draw for the round of 16, which will take place on July 5 at the Conmebol headquarters in Paraguay.
The team led by Gabriel Milito is at its best moment of the year since on Friday they beat Defensa y Justicia (3-1) in La Paternal for the Professional League and lost after four wins in a row between the two competitions.