BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) -Copa Libertadores favorite Boca Juniors rallied to defeat Union Espanola of Chile 2-1 on Wednesday in a first-leg match in the round of 16.
Santiago Silva scored from a header in the final minute to lift Boca to the important victory.
Juan Roman Riquelme gave Boca the lead in the 25th with Union Espanola’s Sebastian Jaime equalizing in the 73rd.
«At home it’s always important to win, and we stayed patient at the end,» Silva said.
Added Riquelme: «We’re happy. We beat a team that played well and knows how the keep possession.»
The second leg is next week in Chile, and the victory at Boca’s La Bombonera stadium puts the Argentine side in a good position to reach the quarterfinals of Latin America’s most important club tournament.
Riquelme scored early, banging in a left-footed shot that went in off the inside of the far post.
The Chilean side seldom mounted a serious threat in the first half against Boca, which has relied on solid defending and the strong goalkeeping of Agustin Orion.
With Boca controlling play, Jamie suddenly put the match up for grabs when he broke into the area and beat Orion from 10 meters (yards).
A draw would have hurt Boca’s chances, but Silva took care of that with just 30 seconds from the end with leaping header from a cross by Pablo Mouche. Neither team mounted much in the three minutes of stoppage time.
Boca has won the Copa Libertadores title six times and dominated in recent years, winning four times in the last decade – the last in 2007. Since then the popular Argentine club has stumbled and failed to be a threat in the continental game.
In late matches on Wednesday, Argentina’s Lanus played at Vasco da Gama of Brazil and Emelec of Ecuador was against Brazil’s Corinthians.
Fuente: AP