Friday 1 April 2011

Copa Libertadores round-up

Oh, for the competition to be more structured like the UEFA Champions League is. Some teams in the Libertadores have played five, some four and a handful just the three. It's easy to lose track of which 'matchday' we're on. Anyway, here's the latest from South America's premier club competition.

Group 6

Internacional 3-0 Jorge Wilstermann

In the live Premier Sports TV offering defending champions Internacional of Brazil went to the top of Group 6 after repeating their victory over Jorge Wilstermann in Porto Alegre, a result which elminates the Bolivian side from the competition. After the comfortable 4-1 away victory a fortnight ago Internacional went ahead with eighteen minutes on the clock when Oscar put them ahead and he then turned provider, setting up Andres D'Alessandro for the second twelve minutes after the break. Wilster were reduced to ten men with twenty minutes to go when Lucas Fernández saw a second yellow for a poor challenge on D'Alessandro and Zé Roberto wrapped things up with the third two minutes after that.

Group 7

Deportes Tolima 1-1 Estudiantes
Guaraní 0-2 Cruzeiro

Estudiantes and Cruzeiro are the first two teams into the Round of 16 after both secured the necessary results in the group's fifth matchday. Top spot will be decided in Matchday 6 when Estudiantes and Cruzeiro clash but the Brazilian side will go into the game top of the group after their 2-0 win in Paraguay at Guaraní. Thiago Ribeiro put Cruzeiro ahead with seventeen minutes gone and their Paraguayan star Jose Ortigoza wrapped things up with the second in injury time. Estudiantes got the draw they needed in Venezuela to knock out Deportes Tolima. Fedrico Fernández put Estudiantes ahead half way through the first half but the home side levelled with half an hour gone when Felipe Noguera levelled from the spot.

Group 8

Peñarol 2-1 Godoy Cruz

Uruguay's Peñarol went to the top of Group 9 after victory over Godoy Cruz in Montevideo. Juan Manuel Oliveira put Peñarol ahead three minutes before the break but there was disaster for the home side when a Dario Rodríguez own goal levelled matters twelve minutes after the break. Peñarol though, got the win they desperately needed when Nicolas Freitas for the winner twenty minutes from time. It's still all to play for in Group 8 with all four teams still in with a chance of making the Round of 16.

Plenty of games next week as we get to the business end of the group stage

Independiene v LDU Quito
Unión Española v Caracas FC
Deportivo Táchira v Cerro Porteño
Jaguares v Internacional
Nacional v Fluminense
Santos v Colo Colo - LIVE on Premier Sports
América v Argentinos Juniors
Grêmio v Junior
Jorge Wilstermann v Emelec
Universidad Católica v Vélez Sarsfield

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