Racing Club Defeats Peñarol 3-1 In Epic Copa Libertadores Clash

Forbes

a day ago

Racing Club of Argentina recorded a historic victory over Uruguayan club Peñarol in the Copa Libertadores on Tuesday night. Racing Club won the game 3-1 and the tie 3-2 on aggregate to qualify for the quarter finals of the competition.
An Explosive Atmosphere
Racing Club had a date with destiny in a drenched 'Cilindro' stadium in Avellaneda on Tuesday night. The Buenos Aires club welcomed five-time champion Peñarol who held the lead in this tie with a 1-0 home victory in the first leg.
Fans packed into the standing sections behind the goal like sardines. The noise in the arena was mind-blowing. Racing supporters knew they needed to come from behind to defeat a strong opponent on the night, and they did everything in their power to get behind the team. It was obvious that there were more home fans in the stadium than the legal capacity, but this is common practice in South America on big match days. The atmosphere was hostile and fervent.
A strong section of yellow and black in the upper tier added their own noise and colour. The Peñarol fans had traveled in their thousands too, with Copa Libertadores dreams of their own. The night turned into a rollercoaster for both sets of supporters.
Early Goals At The Cilindro
Racing was ahead within minutes. The rain poured, and the stadium lifted, as Adrián Martínez bundled in after a goal-mouth scramble. The Racing bench jumped onto the pitch in celebration but little did they know the twists and turns still to come.
Peñarol equalised minutes later, and that was after another missed chance. The Uruguayans weren't in Buenos Aires to make up the numbers which added to the incredible spectacle. As did the weather. The ball moved faster in some parts of the pitch and slower in others as the resting rain water had a significant impact on the drama.
Former Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo thought he had scored a second for Racing, but the referee disallowed the goal because Rojo pushed a Peñarol defender in the build-up.
Both teams had big chances in this encounter. Racing had 26 shots and Peñarol had 16. The game was open, providing edge of the seat action, just as you would expect from the finest competition in South American soccer.
Pure Copa Libertadores Drama
As both teams continued to squander opportunities in the second half Peñarol stayed in the lead on aggregate. Then in the 83rd minute the referee handed the hosts a golden opportunity. Peñarol defender Emanuel Gularte gave away a clumsy foul and Racing was awarded a penalty.
Adrián Martínez dispatched expertly to send the crowd into rapturous applause. Racing had the winner on the night and the leveller in the tie, and there was still time for more. Then touchline theatrics struck. The referee sent off both Marcos Rojo and Bruno Zuculini in the 87th minute, even though they weren't on the pitch at the time.
On the field, both teams pressed again. Either might have scored inside 20 seconds of what felt more like a basketball game than a soccer match. Then Peñarol broke forward again, this time a header from the edge of the six-yard box was directed straight at the keeper. You could barely keep up with the action. The home fans had their hearts in their mouths.
Racing Club Advances To The Quarter Finals
Then in the 94th minute the entire stadium exploded with emotion. Franco Pardo headed in a third goal for Racing club, peeling off at the back post to finish a set-piece for the hosts and send Racing into the quarter finals.
The stands erupted in pandemonium as Racing went ahead 3-2 on aggregate at the very death. The final whistle sounded and the agony and the ecstasy of tournament soccer was laid bare for all to see. Racing celebrated as if they had already won the tournament and Peñarol simply couldn't believe the outcome of the tie after leading for so long.
The Uruguayan side will have to wait another year but Racing's pursuit of continental glory continues. Racing, who won the Copa Sudamericana last year, will face another Argentinian side, Vélez Sarsfield, in the quarter finals of the Copa Libertadores next month.