Grêmio completed the double over Ayacucho as they beat their Peruvian opponents once again in the return leg of the Libertadores.
After a 6-1thrashing in the first leg at the Arena, Tricolor were more or less free to rest a number of their regulars with the job ‘done’ already.
Once again, it was another victory for Grêmio as they claimed a 2-1 victory in Quito on Tuesday night.
Ayacucho were much better in this game and were more threatening on the offensive Sosa opened the scoring for the hosts in the 40th minute. The lead barely lasted more than a minute as Ferreira grabbed the equalizer almost immediately. The comeback was completed when youngster Ricardinho scored three minutes from time. The result means Grêmio edge out their opponents with a 8-2 aggregate.
Renato Portaluppi deservedly gave his key players a break and a good number of his players that were regulars last season.
Regardless, the club’s youngsters and players from the under-23 team were able to deliver still.
With the victory over Ayacucho, Grêmio will take on Independiente del Valle, who also beat Unión Española by a dominant 6-2 score-line on Tuesday.
Also, Conmebol will announce the dates and times of the matches for the upcoming round. Although, it’s certain Grêmio will play the first game against Independiente del Valle in Porto Alegre. The return leg will hold at Ecuador. The draw for the group stages will take place on April 9th.
For their next match, Grêmio will take to the pitch on Friday. Tricolor will welcome Aimoré to the Arena, in a game valid for the 5th round of the first phase of the Gaúcho Championship.
