Grêmio won 2-1 at home against Fluminense in the Copa Libertadores, and Corinthians secured a 2-1 victory away against Red Bull Bragantino in the matchups between Brazilian teams in continental tournaments. Both return matches will take place next week.
The round of 16 in the Libertadores started better for the current champions and title defenders. The team coached by Mano Menezes, which featured Thiago Silva among its starters, took a 1-0 lead with a goal from Vinícius Moreira de Lima. The midfielder, who had entered the game two minutes earlier, connected with a precise cross from Ganso, who reached 15 assists in his entire Libertadores career, placing him in the top 10 in the tournament’s history.
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The comeback came in just three minutes for the Porto Alegre team, which played at the Couto Pereira Stadium in Curitiba, as their home ground remains unusable due to flooding in southern Brazil. The main player in turning the deficit into a victory was Reinaldo.
First, the defender expertly converted a penalty, awarded for an innocent handball by young Esquerdinha in the area. Minutes later, Reinaldo, named the best player of the match, celebrated his second goal of the night with a free kick delivered as a cross that nobody touched, which ended up slipping past goalkeeper Fábio.
Rodrigo Ely was sent off in the final stretch for aggression against Ganso and will miss the return match. That game will be played on August 20 at the Maracanã.
Atlético Mineiro managed to secure a draw
Meanwhile, Atlético Mineiro earned a valuable draw in their visit to Buenos Aires. They finished 1-1 against San Lorenzo after falling behind due to a goal from Alexis Cuello for the Argentinians in the 17th minute.
Galo, who have been inconsistent in the Brasileirão and without Hulk due to injury, found parity 10 minutes into the second half through Paulinho. The return match will be held at Arena MRV in a week.
Corinthians gained the advantage
In the Brazilian clash for the round of 16 in the Sudamericana, Corinthians won 2-1 away against Bragantino in the first leg. The team coached by Ramón Díaz was lethal in the first quarter of an hour, taking the lead thanks to goals from Giovane and Talles Magno, a newcomer who has scored two goals in two matches.
Helinho pulled one back in the second half for Bragantino, which had to relocate its home match to the town of Ribeirão Preto, about 300 kilometers from their home ground, as their stadium did not meet the minimum capacity requirements for these international matches. The return leg will be on August 20 at the Neo Química Arena.
