Atlético Nacional defeated Guaraní de Asunción 0-2 in the first leg of phase II in the 2021 Copa Libertadores. The purslane was powerful on Paraguayan soil and with goals from Bryan Rovira and Alexis Villalba they went to Medellín with a goal. good advantage to complete the series and advance to Stage III in the continental league.
Both teams emerged cautiously and until minute 7 Atlético Nacional had its first approach via Jarlan Barrera entering the area from the left sector. On minute 9, Guaraní reacted through Antonio Marín, who finished with his right foot, but goalkeeper Aldair Quintana was thoughtful.
About 20 minutes later, Danovis Banguero demanded from halfway through goalkeeper Gaspar Servio, the purslane with ball dominance, suppressed the aboriginal team, which could not figure out the pressure from the Colombian team.
At minute 23, a flood of Yerson Candelo through the right sector led to a center that could not turn down Guaraní’s defense. The ball stayed in the heart of the area for Jarlan Barrera who closed with his right leg and deflected the ball to Alexis Villalba, leading to a goal against for the locals and Antioquia’s green team passing forward.
After the goal, the Paraguayan team quickly recovered the ball and tried to attack from the sides, in addition to generating medium-range shots, but Aldair Quintana intervened in a good way. Nacional reacted in the 36th minute with a collective action that led to a spectacular shot by Jonatan Álvez. The post lanes ended the first half with superiority in the match and that was reflected on the scoreboard.
In the complementary phase, Guaraní went in search of the equalizer, in minute 4, a free kick taken by Miguel Benítez who rejected Quintana and left the ball to Nicolás Maná, who finished the ball that had deviated from the goal of the purslane. The Colombian side had two chances to score, in one Jarlan got into the offside trap, but in which Álvez intervened and ended in the back of the goal, Venezuelan linesman Tulio Moreno raised the flag, although he did. switch.
The match fell a bit in intensity and focused on the center of the field, Guaraní made a change by entering Josué Colmán instead of Jorge Morel, the midfielder had connectivity to the attack and disrupted the visiting goal. At minute 26, Vladimir Hernández from the middle distance almost scored the second, but the Argentinian goalkeeper Servio was very good. A few minutes later, Colmán had the draw, but shot the ball over the Colombian goal.
Until minute 31 of the second half, Nacional made his first substitution in the match, Déinner Quiñones replaced Vladimir Hernández. Guaraní made four variations in 39 minutes of the second half. In the 41st minute, a shot by Milton Maciel from the right side saw Aldair Quintana make a providential save.
The game grew in temperature, the Paraguayan players looked for Jarlan Barrera, who attacked the player Samarium. The former Junior had a yellow card. With that discussion, the greens lowered momentum to the local who had attacked in the final minutes of the game. In the fifth minute of addition, Déinner Quiñones had the second, after a team move in rapid transition.
In the last action of the game, Bryan Rovira condemned the final 0-2 in favor of the Colombian team with a free kick. The Caesarean section expelled the Servio goalkeeper and surprised the Paraguayan defense with great acumen.
In the end, Atlético Nacional took a major victory in their quest to advance to the next stage of the Copa Libertadores, against a Guaraní who didn’t show the aggressiveness he had in the previous stage against Bolivia’s Royal Pari.
The return game will be played next Thursday, March 18 at 7.30 p.m. in the Atanasio Girardot stadium in Medellín.
Juan Camilo Alvarez Serrano
FUTBOLRED correspondent
Medellin
And twitter: @ juanchoserran8