Friday 29 April 2011

Copa Libertadores Round of 16 First Leg

Grêmio 1-2 Universidad Católica
Vélez Sarsfield 3-0 LDU Quito
Estudiantes 0-0 Cerro Porteño
Jaguares 1-1 Junior
Santos 1-0 América
Once Caldas 1-2 Cruzeiro
Peñarol 1-1 Internacional
Fluminense 3-1 Libertad

Chile's Universidad Católica got the Round of 16 underway with a fanstastic victory in Porto Alegre against Grêmio. After Lucas Pratto put visitors ahead with half an hour gone things took a turn for the worse for the home side when Borges of Grêmio was sent off six minutes later. The ten men rallied and levelled through Douglas on the hour but a second from Pratto fifteen minutes from time gave Universidad Católica an advantage to take back to Santiago next week. Vélez Sarsfield for off to the perfect start at home to 2008 winners LDU Quito when a brace from Augusto Fernández in the opening eleven minutes put them firmly in control. It didn't get any better for LDU Quito when Luis Bolaños was sent off nine minutes after the break and it got worse when Sebastian Domínguez made it three a minute later. To cap a bad night off for the Ecuadorian club Neicer Reasco was also sent off twenty minutes from time.

Cerro Porteño continue to fly the flag for the Paraguayan cause after a goalless draw in front of the Premier Sports TV cameras against 2009 champions Estudiantes in La Plata. It put the the Argentinian side behind the 8-ball for the trip to Asunción next week but the hosts will be without Rodrigo Burgos after he was sent off four minutes from time. Colombian side Junior were another team to make a great start to their Round of 16 tie when they took a seventh minutes lead through Luis Páez against the Mexicans Jaguares in Tuxtla Gutiérrez. The home side levelled twelve minutes after the break when their Colombian forward Jackson Martínez put one over his fellow countrymen with the equaliser to set everything up nicely for the second leg in Branquilla.

At the Vila Belmiro in front of the Premier Sports TV cameras, Santos secured a narrow advantage to take to Azteca Stadium against América in a repeat of their 2008 quarter final meeting. In their hunt for a first Libertadores title since 1963 Santos got the only goal of the game seven minutes before the break courtesy of the youngster Paulo Henrique Ganso. Miguel Láyun of América will miss the second leg, after his introduction as a substitute just before half time he managed to pick up a second caution in injury time to see red. Cruzeiro went in to the Round of 16 as the number 1 seeded side and they kept up their great form in the competition with a 2-1 victory at 2004 winner Once Caldas of Colombia. The goals all came late in the game, Wallyson put the 1997 winners ahead seventeen minutes from time and Paraguayan start Jose Ortigoza doubled the lead seven minutes from time. Once Caldas gave themselves hope for the return when Luis Núñez pulled a goal back a minutes from time.

With the Premier Sports TV cameras in attendance holders Internacional of Brazil set themselves up nicely for next weeks second leg in Porto Alegre after coming from behind to get a draw in Montevideo against Peñarol. Matias Corujo put the home side ahead nine minutes before the break in their quest for a first title since 1987. The holders though fought back and levelled matters twenty minutes after the break when Leandro Damião levelled matters. Fluminense scraped into the Round of 16 after results went their way in match day six but they will take a commanding lead against Libertad of Paraguay. Rafael Moura put the Tricolor ahead with just four minutes on the clock but Rodolfo Gamarra got what could be a vital away goal for the visitors on the hour. But two goals in two minutes gave Fluminense their advantage for next week, with seventeen minutes left Marquinho restored the lead and Argentinian talisman Dario Conca made it three two minutes later.

The last eight line up will be decided next week when the return legs take place

América v Santos
Internacional v Peñarol
Libertad v Fluminense
Cruzeiro v Once Caldas
Universidad Católica v Grêmio
Cerro Porteño v Estudiantes
LDU Quito v Vélez Sarsfield
Junior v Jaguares

Premier Sports TV is the live home of South American football in the UK
You can subscribe at www.premiersports.tv or call 0871 663 9000

No comments: