River Plate, one of the candidates for the continental title, and Athletico Paranaense, finalist last year, culminated their participation in the 2023 Copa Libertadores by falling this Tuesday in two tense definitions by penalties, which prolonged the life of Inter de Porto Alegre and Bolivar.
El Millonario, who celebrated his thirty-eighth Argentine league title in mid-July, the first for his coach Martín Demichelis, put an end to a Cup campaign tinged with ups and downs by losing to Inter 9-8 on penalties and 2 -1 in the 90 minutes, the same result that made him the winner in the first leg in Buenos Aires.
Argentine defender Gabriel Mercado (70) and midfielder Alan Patrick (78) put the Brazilians ahead, who were ready to end the series in regulation time, when Paraguayan defender Robert Rojas (90) discounted and sent the key to definition from the twelve steps.
After 18 shots from the white point, the ‘red gaúchos’ of Argentine coach Eduardo Coudet, a former millionaire who was able to win five national titles as a red band midfielder, advanced to the round in search of their third crown, because Pablo Solari had his shot disallowed for hitting it with both feet and Rojas smashed his shot off the crossbar.
Inter now awaits an interesting duel with Bolívar from Bolivia, who also took the victory from the white point by beating Athletico Paranaense 5-4 in Curitiba, after Furaçao forced the definition with a 2-0 win in the 90 minutes and level the overall score 3-3 (Bolívar’s 3-1 victory in the first leg).
Surprise in Curitiba
El Bolívar, who returns to the quarterfinals of the Libertadores 9 years later, converted all his shots, while in the fifth and last for Paranaense, center-back Thiago Heleno crashed his shot off the crossbar.
In the 90 minutes, the veteran Fernandinho and the young Vitor Roque made it 2-0 for Furaçao.
Tuesday night could have been round for Brazilian soccer, because earlier in Rio de Janeiro Fluminense, finalist of the Libertadores-2008, advanced to the quarterfinals with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Argentinos Juniors.
Samuel Xavier, at 86 minutes, and John Kennedy, in a deadly counterattack at 90+7, took care of the goals for the ‘Flu’.
The Brazilians, who got a 1-1 draw in the first leg last week in Buenos Aires, will clash in the quarterfinals with the winner of the series between Olimpia and Flamengo, who meet on Thursday in Asunción and with a 1-0 lead for the defending champion.