Inter came out victorious with a 1-0 win against Bolívar on Tuesday in La Paz, Bolivia, at the Hernando Siles stadium. This puts the Brazilian club in a good position for a Libertadores semifinals spot.
Ecuadorian striker Enner Valencia secured the win for Internacional by scoring in the 15th minute of the first half.
For country 𝒂𝒏𝒅 club. 🔑 https://t.co/eQpSCLm0zy pic.twitter.com/7rjjporXb8
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) August 22, 2023
This victory means that Inter can even play for a draw at home in the next week’s match and still make it to the semifinals of the Libertadores. If they lose by just one goal, the decision will go to penalties.
The two teams will meet again for the second leg of the Libertadores quarterfinals, this time at Beira-Rio, next Tuesday at 7 pm (Brasília time).
Before that, Inter has a match against Flamengo at Maracanã for the 21st round of the Brazilian Championship, scheduled at 6:30 pm (Brasília time).
Squad lineup
Bolívar: Lampe, Bejarano, Bentaberry, Nicolas Ferreyra (Uzeda), José Sagredo; Justiniano (Villarroel), Villamil (Saucedo), Bruno Savio; Francisco da Costa, Pato Rodríguez (Algarañaz), Ronnie Fernández.
Manager: Benat San José
Internacional: Rochet, Bustos (Gabriel), Vitão, Mercado, Nicolás Hernández, Renê; Johnny, Aránguiz (Bruno Henrique), Alan Patrick (Igor Gomes); Wanderson (De Pena), Enner Valencia (Luiz Adriano).
Coach: Eduardo Coudet
Match summary
First half
- Bolívar began the match with a slight advantage over Inter. The Bolivian team aimed to play with high intensity, while the Brazilian side wanted to slow things down.
- Despite having more possession, the Bolivian team didn’t manage to trouble Rochet, Inter’s goalkeeper.
- Inter managed to level the game and found success with Valencia’s goal. Eduardo Coudet’s team overcame Bolívar’s strong start and displayed solid defensive skills when facing attacks.
- Towards the end of the first half, Bolívar kept pressuring around Inter’s area. They prevented the Brazilians from advancing, applying pressure on their opponents. However, the Bolivian team struggled to find the target, and their shots went wide.
Second half
- As the second half began, Inter took control of the game. The team exchanged passes smoothly and advanced into the attacking zone comfortably. Bolívar, on the other hand, found it challenging to escape the sturdy Brazilian defense.
- Bolívar’s performance improved when Uzeda joined the team. They increased their presence in the attacking area, exerted pressure on Inter, and introduced speed to their game.
- They created good opportunities but were unfortunate as their shots hit the crossbar and Rochet’s saves denied them a goal.
