Palestino advances agonizingly on penalties to the group stage of the Libertadores

Santiago de Chile, March 12 (EFE).- The Chilean Palestino agonizingly managed to enter the group stage of the Copa Libertadores 2024 this Tuesday thanks to penalties, after losing 1-3 to the Paraguayan Nacional in the second leg of the third round, played at the El Teniente de Rancagua stadium, 90 kilometers from Santiago.

The Arab team led by Pablo ‘Vitamina’ Sánchez had won 0-2 in the first leg in Asunción a week ago, so thanks to the header goal from center back Cristián Suárez, in the 84th minute, the overall score was leveled (3- 3) to define the duel from the penalty spot.

In that instance, the Baisanos won 3-1 with penalties converted by Gonzalo Sosa, Misael Dávila and Felipe Chamorro, while Edgardo Orzusa scored for the Paraguayans, Sergio Ojeda missed and goalkeeper César Rigamonti saved Brian Blasi’s shot.

Nacional won the consolation prize and will play in the group stage of the Copa Sudamericana.

It was an intense match towards the end where either of the two could define it. Palestino with a ball that hit the post and Nacional with a goal disallowed in the 91st minute due to a handball.

Until defender Suárez’s goal, Nacional was ending the series with goals from Juan Alfaro, Orlando Lugo and Diego Duarte, which had provisionally turned the overall score around (3-2).

Alfaro scored the third goal in the 67th minute with a defined shot low by goalkeeper César Rigamonti, after Palestino got tangled in the background trying to clear a ball.

Before, the tricolor squad had managed to level the series with two goals scored at the end of the first half and beginning of the second, which complicated the locals and left them with little ability to react.

The second goal of the match was from Lugo, in the 48th minute, with a right-footed shot that entered through the horizontal of the ‘Tino’ goal, in a play in which Ignacio Bailone put the pass into the area with his back to the goal. .

The first goal came from forward Duarte and came in the 44th minute, with a header over the right post, after a cross from Lugo who was the best performer for the visitors.

The team led by Juan Pablo Pumpido had come out from the first half putting pressure on the departure of Palestino and took control of the ball against a local team with some inaccuracies in the passes to string together their game.

Hence, the first warning of the match was given by the Paraguayan team, which missed a penalty in the 8th minute to open the scoring. Midfielder Joe Abrigo committed a foul inside the area, and Juan Alfaro failed to collect against goalkeeper César Rigamonti, who blocked the penalty on his right post and then saw his rebound shot go over the crossbar.

As the minutes passed, the Baisanos were able to settle on the field and balance possession of the ball to generate more scoring opportunities in the rival area. Thus, shots came from Bryan Carrasco, a one-on-one from Pablo Palacio and then two consecutive shots from Linares and Palacio that goalkeeper Anthony Silva rejected in great fashion.

The first goal of the Guaraní team came at the best moment of the game for ‘Tino’, who had the chance to equalize the next minute, but Gonzalo Sosa’s shot hit the left vertical of the goal and went out.

But in the second half Nacional did everything to change their destiny, which went wrong from the penalty kicks.

– Datasheet:

1. Palestine: Caesar Rigamonti; Dilan Zuniga, Ivan Roman, Cristian Suarez, Benjamin Rojas; Fernando Cornejo (Misael Dávila, m.54), Nicholas Linares (Felipe Chamorro, m.75), Joe Abrigo (Junior Marabel, m.54); Pablo Palace (Jonathan Benitez, m.54), Gonzalo Sosa and Bryan Carrasco (Brian Vejar, m.75).

Coach: Pablo Sánchez.

3. National: Anthony Silva; Leonardo Rivas, Sergio Ojeda, Claudio Nunez (Ismael Benegas, m.70), Brian Blasi; Facundo Velazco (Jordan Santacruz, 70), Juan Alfaro (Leandro Meza, 81), Orlando Lugo (Marcelo Gonzalez, 73); Diego Duarte, Ignatius Bailone (Sebastian Vargas, m.81).

Coach: Juan Pablo Pumpido.

Referee: The Uruguayan Andrés Matonte admonished Abrigo, Carrasco, Suárez, Sosa, Rojas for the locals, Velazco, Bailone, Pumpido (coach) for the visit.

Incidents: Match for the third phase of the Copa Libertadores played at the El Teniente de Rancagua stadium.