The first legs of the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores began this Tuesday with three games scheduled. Here’s what happened.
Grêmio with 10 players defeats title holder after quick recovery
Chasers: Reinaldo 74′ (P), 77′; From Lima 58′. Red: Eli 84′
Fluminense are in the relegation zone of Série A and their difficulties continued in this tournament, with the champions losing their lead against punishing Grêmio.
After the first 45 minutes of this all-Brazilian display, nothing separated the teams, but that left the door open for a dramatic second half.
A smart move by the Fluminense team led to the opening goal. Vinícius Moreira de Lima was unmarked near the far post and the substitute shot to Agustín Marchesín.
The visitors were looking to close out the game and take the turnaround to Rio de Janeiro, but a defensive error opened the door for Grêmio.
A handball from Esquerdinha hit the target and left the referee no choice but to award a penalty, despite Thiago Silva arguing otherwise.
Reinaldo Manoel da Silva scored the next penalty and scored twice three minutes later when his free kick went into the net.
Grêmio made things more difficult for themselves after Rodrigo Ely was controversially sent off for wrestling, but the hosts managed to hold on and take a vital aggregate lead against the reigning champions.
Arriving later…
We’ll have more action for you later!
