After Junior’s bitter experience in the Copa Libertadores, Deportivo Independiente Medellín lived up to expectations with a resounding, unchallengeable victory to reach the quarter-finals of the Copa Sudamericana for the first time in history.
According to the criteria of
The team led by Alejandro Restrepo ran over a Palestino that put up very little resistance, which was nothing like the team that eliminated a very weak Millonarios from the Libertadores and that could have even conceded one more goal in the improvised home of the ‘Poderoso’, the Hernán Ramírez Villegas stadium in Pereira.
Medellín came out with everything, opened the game on the wings, began to break and break until they found the gap and began winning with a goal in which they also had some luck: at minute 29, Luis Fernando ‘Chino’ Sandoval made a change of front looking for Diego Moreno. The midfielder had already lowered the ball with his chest and when he was about to finish, Iván Román put his leg in to clear and ended up scoring an own goal.
Medellin vs. Palestine
Photo:
Palestino also helped Medellín with his mistakes. A poor clearance by Nicolás Linares after a corner kick fell on the edge of the area, where Jaime Alvarado had time and space to take a low shot that went in, where goalkeeper César Rigamonti had no way of reaching. In 42 minutes, DIM had practically resolved the series.
Already in the second half, Palestino tried to find a way to score and what they ended up doing was giving away a penalty, when, at 17 minutes, Misael Dávila got a hand to a shot by Sandoval. The VAR notified the central referee, the Brazilian Flavio de Souza, and so, Leyser Chaverra, at 21, scored the 3-0, a goal that left the Chilean team reeling.
The knockout blow came a minute later, after a cross from the right by Sandoval found Baldomero Perlaza very well positioned so he could head it home and score the final 4-0.
It was a great night for Medellín, which keeps its international dream alive and, at the same time, that of Colombian football, which has DIM as the only survivor in Conmebol tournaments. Now, the ‘Poderoso’ awaits Lanús, which beat Liga de Quito 3-1.
SPORTS
More Sports News
#Independiente #Medellín #beat #Palestino #reached #quarterfinals #Copa #Sudamericana
