(EFE). – Boca Juniors beat Palmeiras 2-0 today in the semifinal of the Copa Libertadores, thanks to a double from Darío Benedetto.
The two goals from the passenger who entered from the relief bench gave the Argentine a valuable advantage ahead of the second leg that will be played next week in San Pablo.
En un partido táctico, intenso pero de pocas opciones de gol, el conjunto dirigido por Guillermo Barros Schelotto cumplió con todas las premisas ante su público: ganar, marcar más de un gol y mantener su arco en cero.
Benedetto, que había sufrido una rotura de ligamentos cruzados el 19 de noviembre del año pasado, regresó esta temporada tras ocho meses de recuperación pero todavía no había podido volver a marcar.
The coach did it in 3 minutes and the 28-year-old striker converted a brace to celebrate Xeneize’s victory against a Palmeiras that, that night, had lost only one matchday in the Luiz Felipe ScolariArray era.
Verdao accumulates a setback in 21 games – against Cerro Porteño in the Libertadores round of 16 – and a streak of 15 games without wasting that the permit is absolute ruler of Brazil.
Boca, one of the most inconsistent players in the Argentine Super League, encountered an important trio and repeated the same victory they achieved in 8 final games against Libertad and 4 final games against Cruzeiro.
In the first moment, a header from Carlos Izquierdoz after a false start from Weverton and the distant media comments from Olaza and Pavón left the local factions in the mood.
On the side of Palemeiras, Dudu and William seem characteristic, but the ball cannot triumph in the position of the Colombian Miguel Borja, who appeared very low.
La solidez de la dupla central compuesta por Luan y el paraguayo Gustavo Gómez, la fortaleza de Felipe Melo y los arranques de Dudu fueron lo mejor del conjunto brasileño.
In the second half, Boca had a great offensive preponderance with Pablo Pérez and Nahitán Nández, who entered the midfield only to the ball but also to generate attacking options.
And on the bench, Barros Schelotto met the to win the silver: first with the contribution of the Colombian Sebastián Villa and then with the scorer Darío Benedetto.
A loose shot executed masterfully by Lucas Olaza generated a magnificent reaction from Weverton to shoot and the team shot with a very confusing ball.
From that same shot, Villa managed to locate the best ball for Benedetto’s header that threw itself to the ground and beat the effort of the visiting goalkeeper.
Tears and emotion for a player who unearths himself with the goal at the right moment.
But it was not because two minutes from the end he won a hit from Pablo Pérez on the edge of the area, the gun and missed a furious shot that was already featureless in Verdao’s guard.
La victoria fue muy festejada tanto por los jugadores como por los simpatizantes de Boca que irán la próxima semana con ventaja a San Pablo, mientras que Palmeiras deberá esforzarse para dar vuelta la serie en pos de alcanzar la final del certamen continental.