Botafogo advanced to its first Copa Libertadores final this Wednesday even though they lost 3-1 Penarol at Estadio Campeón del Siglo in Uruguay. The Brazilian side had won the first leg of its semifinal 5-0 and came into the second leg of the matchup with a commanding lead that was just too much to overcome.
Botafogo will go on to face another Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro in the Final, who qualified after a 0-0 draw at Argentina’s River Plate on Tuesday. They had previously taken the first leg of the series with a 3-0 win at home.
Going into the match five goals up, Botafogo rested many of its starters which included national team strikers Luiz Henrique and Igor Jesus. Without the firepower the team struggled offensively and eventually gave up two goals to Jaime Báez of Penarol.
The first came via a long distance strike in the 31st minute which flew past the Botafogo goal keeper. The second goal was in the second half, when Baez found a great angle from the edge of the box in the 66th.
Penarol’s goalkeeper Washington Aguerre was given a red card and sent off during the break after intentionally stepping on the foot of the opposition keeper. Botafogo later also lost a player to even out the advantage after Mateo Ponte received his second yellow card only seconds after receiving his first.
Thiago Almada was substituted in for Botafogo early on in the second half and scored this team’s only goal in the match in the 88th minute. With only a few minutes to go and 4 goals down, Penarol’s Facundo Batista scored a last gasp goal but it was too little too late. In the end Botafogo’s advantage coming into the match was way too much, as they won 6-3 in aggregate.
Brazilian teams have won the tournament for the past five years and this looks like it will continue with an all-Brazilian final. The final will be played at the Monumental de Nunez Stadium in Buenos Aires on November 30th.
Based on current form, Botafogo will be favourites with a number of Brazilian national team players in their squad who have been in terrific form. Their opponent’s Atletico Mineiro however have been extremely solid on defense and will look to wear their opposition down.
Atlético Mineiro Draws 0-0 With River Plate To Qualify For Finals
Atlético Mineiro will once again return to Buenos Aires to play in the 2024 Copa Libertadores final after they secured a second leg scoreless draw against River Plate. The draw leaves the final aggregate score between the two teams as 3-0 in favor of the Brazilians.
River Plate hosted the second leg on Tuesday night but couldn’t find any success in the scoring department despite a number of close calls. Minerio came into the game with a very defensive strategy which saw them stack many players in the box, not allowing River Plate to find their groove. They barely tried to counter attack as well, looking to simply rely on their three goal advantage heading into the match.
Despite trying everything they could to break the Minero defense, River just couldn’t find the back of the net. Colombian striker Miguel Borja looked like he was on an island for a majority of the match, surrounded by players of the opposition.
There were many corners and crosses in the Mineiro box but the ball kept getting cleared through solid defense. On the rare occasion that the defense was breached, goalkeeper Éverson was up to the task, always in the right position at the right time.
With the win, Mineiro have the chance to win their first ever Copa Libertadores title. Even though they will be underdogs to a mighty Botafogo team, they have the pieces which could come away with a victory if they can get their game together on the day. Expect a hotly contested encounter which could come down to penalties if both teams play to form.
