FOOTBALL-LIBERTADORES/ – REUTERS Agency
BUENOS AIRES, May 26 (Reuters) – River Plate, one of the most popular clubs in South American soccer, drew 1-1 as a visitor against Sporting Cristal on Thursday at the close of the fourth day of the Copa Libertadores group stage .
River and Cristal share the last place in Group D with four points, five below the leader Fluminense and two less than the guard The Strongest.
In the match played at the National Stadium of Peru, the Peruvian team opened the scoring at minute 63 through a powerful shot by Yoshimar Yotún, after an error by goalkeeper Franco Armani at the start.
Ten minutes later, Cristal was left with a man less due to the expulsion of Rafael Lutiger in a play that led to a penalty for River, which goalkeeper Renato Solís later blocked Colombian Miguel Borja.
The draw for the Argentine team came at 84 through Rodrigo Aliendro, after a shot from Esequiel Barco that hit the crossbar.
“We leave with a bitter taste, now we have to win the two games at home, yes or yes,” Aliendro told television after the tie.
Earlier, for the same group, The Strongest beat Fluminense 1-0 at home at the Hernando Siles stadium in the city of La Paz with a goal from Argentine Enrique Triverio after 4 minutes.
“Playing at this kind of altitude is always almost criminal. Nobody is prepared for this. The teams are at sea level and here it is a different sport,” coach Fernando Diniz said after the defeat at 3,600 meters above sea level.
In other matches on Thursday, Internacional de Porto Alegre beat Metropolitanos 2-1 in Group B, while Paraguay’s Olimpia beat Patronato de Paraná 2-0 in Group H. (Reporting by Ramiro Scandolo; Editing by Benjamín Mejías Valencia )
Source: Ambito
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