Copa Libertadores: Independiente Take Three Points From Peñarol To Top Group 8

Peñarol had a decent flurry of chances on goal after Independiente scored to start the second half, forcing Hilario Navarro into a number of good saves, but they failed to get on the score sheet before Cristian Pellerano scored an absolute golazo that will likely put this Copa Libertadores match to bed. With a 2-0 lead gained with two absolutely stunning goals, Independiente seem unlikely to throw this game away and should be coming away from the match with three well-earned points.

The goal came off of a corner kick, but hardly in a conventional way. Following the corner and one blocked shot, the ball bounced out to Pellerano, who was in the center of the pitch, about 30 yards from goal. He unleashed a hard, low drive towards the post at his left, and his shot sailed through a cluster of traffic to hit the back of the net so hard, it bounced five yards out.

Independiente lacked the final touch to create great goal scoring opportunities in the first half of their Copa Libertadores match against Peñarol, but they have looked like a completely different team coming out of the gate in the second half. Facundo Parra has scored a goal just two minutes after the start of the half to put Independiente ahead, but while his finish was great, the goal was a complete team effort, made by some great exchanges of one touch passing. It was obviously the kind of thing that only a team with skilled players who had played together before could produce, making everyone wonder, “Where was that in the first half?”

The entire Independiente midfield and forward line was involved in making the goal, exchanging a number of passes between them before Parra played a one touch pass out to the left flank. The ball was promptly returned to him with a cross, and yet again, with his first touch, Parra did exactly what he intended with the ball, redirecting it into the back of the net to give his team a 1-0 lead.

It’s been a decent, though unspectacular first half for Estudiantes La Plata in their Copa Libertadores match against Deportes Tolima, as they attempt to bounce back from the 5-0 drubbing they suffered at the hands of Cruzeiro a week ago. They look considerably more focused and determined in defense in this game than they did last week, and that has led to them keeping a clean sheet thus far and taking a 1-0 lead into halftime.

The goal came in the 45th minute, just before the teams went into their locker rooms for the break. Pablo Barrientos is the man who scored, with his goal coming on a direct free kick, between 20 and 25 yards away from goal. Barrientos hit a decent shot that looked like it was spinning towards the near post, but it took a deflection off of the head of a member of the Deportes Tolima wall. That deflection re-directed the ball to the far post, giving Tolima goalkeeper Agustin Orion no chance to make a save.

After suffering a bad 5-0 defeat against Cruzeiro in the first round of Copa Libertadores fixtures, Estudiantes La Plata will have to pick themselves up quickly if they want to qualify for the competition’s knockout stages. Their 1-0 win over lowly Quilmes over the weekend is hardly an indicator of either strength or weakness, but we may learn a little bit more on Wednesday night. They host a decent Deportes Tolima side who have defeated Corinthians and Guarani up to this point. With their talent, Estudiantes will be favored at home, but their effort last week against Cruzeiro was extremely discouraging.

Later on in the evening, a couple of Brazilian sides take center stage. Fluminense have a tricky match against Nacional of Uruguay, while defending champions Internacional face a Jaguares de Chiapas side that won their opening match against Jorge Wilstermann, yet has been struggling domestically. Both sides will be desperate for three points after they had deserved victories snatched away from them in the first set of fixtures.