Away goals proved crucial in the latest round of Copa Libertadores matches on Wednesday after Argentine side Estudiantes and Universidad de Chile joined comfortable winners Palmeiras in the competition’s second round.
A Marco Estrada free-kick in the 58th minute was enough for Universidad de Chile to squeeze past Mexico’s Pachuca, despite playing most of the match with 10 men.
Mauricio Arias was sent off in the 10th minute for the Chilean side and Gerardo Rodriguez scored a penalty for Pachuca in the 23rd minute to level the aggregate score after losing the first leg 1-0 in Santiago.
PHOTO: AP
Universidad shocked the home side when defender Estrada hit a free-kick past a badly positioned Miguel Calero in the Pachuca goal to level the scores.
Damian Alvarez scored a second goal for Pachuca in the 86th minute, but the Mexicans were eliminated on the away goals rule.
Universidad join Group 7 in the second round with Brazil’s Gremio, Aurora of Bolivia and Colombian team Boyaca Chico.
Meanwhile, Brazilian side Palmeiras completed a routine 2-0 away victory over Real Potosi.
After a crushing 5-1 victory in the first leg at home, Palmeiras secured progression to the group stages with strikes from Cleiton Xavier and Keirrison in a 2-0 win in Bolivia.
The Brazilian’s appeared unaffected by the 4,000m altitude as Xavier scored in the 31st minute with a powerful right-footed shot, before Keirrison stole the ball from the Real Potosi defenders and rounded the goalkeeper to roll home the second goal in the 73rd minute.
Palmeiras will line up against fellow Brazilians Sport Recife, Colo Colo of Chile and defending champions Liga de Quito of Ecuador in Group 1 of the second round.
Substitute striker Ramon Lentini headed home a Diego Galvan cross in the 77th minute to give Estudiantes a 1-0 win over Peruvian club Sporting Cristal in La Plata.
The Argentines trailed Sporting 2-1 after a surprise defeat in the preliminary round first leg in Lima and despite a majestic performance from Argentine international and Estudiantes captain Juan Sebastian Veron, the home side looked to be heading out of the competition until Lentini’s first Libertadores goal.
Estudiantes will now join Brazilian side Cruzeiro, Deportivo Quito of Ecuador and Bolivia’s Universario de Sucre in the tournament’s Group 5.
The eight Copa Libertadores groups will feature home-and-away matches between the four teams, with the top two clubs progressing to the knock-out stages.
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