Botafogo was eliminated from Sudamericana 2023 after being defeated 2-1 by Defensa y Justicia in Argentina. Bruno Lage’s cast had arrived in Buenos Aires with the pressure to win after drawing 1-1 at home, but the Falcon won the pass to the semifinals, where they will face São Paulo or LDU.
Nicolás “Uvita” Fernández was the hero of the night, scoring both goals for his team. The attacker had put the host ahead at 15′, although Estrela Solitária managed to equalize just before halftime in an unusual way. A Lucas Fernandes free-kick hit the left post, the ball bounced off the back of Enrique Bologna and almost crossed the line before being cleared.
The VAR validated the goal, although it did not prevent the local victory. At 72′, Fernández made it 2-1 with a header after a great center from Alexis Soto. Botafogo then tried by all means to force the penalties, but was never able to bring down his opponent and fell short of the Great Conquest.
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What’s next for Botafogo
Although the elimination of the Sudamericana is undoubtedly a hard blow, Botafogo has a more important objective this season: the Brasileirão. Fogão leads the standings with 51 points, with an 11 advantage over Palmeiras (its immediate rival) after 21 rounds.
Those led by Lage will have to change the page soon to focus on their next challenge, which will be nothing less than the classic from Rio de Janeiro against Flamengo for round 22 of the Brazilian league. The match will take place on Saturday (2nd) at 9 pm. (Brasília time) at the Nilson Santos stadium.
Other Brazilians who fell before Defensa y Justicia
The team has killed several Brazilian teams in recent years. In the 2020 Sudamericana, the edition in which they lifted the trophy for the first time, they eliminated Vasco da Gama in the round of 16 and Bahia in the quarterfinals. After winning that contest, Defensa y Justicia gave the big hit by beating Palmeiras, brand new champion of the Libertadores, in the South American Recopa.
