Vélez removes Talleres and is a semifinalist in the Copa Libertadores

Velez Sarsfield qualified for the semifinals of the Libertadores Cup 2022 by beating 1-0 as a visitor to workshops, in the revenge of the quarterfinals that was played this Wednesday at the Mario Kempes stadium in Córdoba (center). Julián Fernández (78) scored the goal for the victory of Vélez, who had won the first game 3-2, so he sentenced the series with a 4-2 aggregate.

In this way, the Velez team, champion of the Copa Libertadores in 1994, returns to the semifinals after eleven years, since in 2011 they fell in that instance against the Uruguayan Peñarol, while Talleres was left with the desire to step on for the first time round of the top four.

In the semifinals, Vélez will face the Brazilian Flamengo, who in his key eliminated his compatriot Corinthians.

even duel

As soon as the match started, Vélez celebrated a goal by Lucas Pratto, but the Paraguayan referee Aquino annulled the action at the request of the VAR, by the hand of Lucas Janson at the time of controlling the ball before assisting his teammate.

Far from being able to prevail, it was difficult for Talleres to find the paths against a very concentrated Vélez, who gave him possession of the ball, but left Janson and Pratto wide open as wingers, and thus the visit had two good options to try to take advantage of the spaces that the Cordovan team could leave.

Talleres, forced to seek victory to reverse the defeat of the first leg, tried to find the Colombian Valoyes and with some balls for GIrotti, but it was difficult for him to generate risk in an imprecise first half, in which the best chances were the visit .

Vélez tried with a frontal shot from Garayalde that Herrera contained without problems, then with a shot to place from Janson that went high, and finally with a counterattack in which Bou received at the entrance of the area, but his half turn was deflected. by a saving cross of Enzo Díaz.

hit the fort

Talleres’s coach, the Portuguese Pedro Caixinha, moved the bench to change the discreet image of the first half and arranged for the arrival of Diego Ortegoza and Matías Godoy to renew the attack.

The locals were more active and ambitious, but in any case, they did not have the clarity to undermine a Vélez willing to put up a fight on every ball, while waiting well planted on the counterattack for an opportunity to take the Cordovan team badly.

A deflected header from Valoyes was the best chance the locals had, but
Vélez resisted, supported by a formidable performance by central defenders Matías de los Santos and Valentín Gómez, but also with a dedicated effort by Bou, Janson and Pratto, their forwards, to try to complicate Talleres from the start.

The tie reached the team of ‘Cacique’ Medina, who saw the red card in a riot, but in any case would find the reassuring goal and that settled the series twelve minutes from the end, when Janson played a fantastic empty assist for the youthful Fernández, 18, who showed poise to elude Herrera and define with an empty goal.

In the time that remained, Talleres did not get the reaction to at least equalize, and the visit even missed the opportunity to increase when Osorio escaped alone with the goalkeeper as the only obstacle, but he defined just wide. Vélez, who passed the group round with just enough, had already given the big blow by eliminating a candidate like River Plate in the round of 16, and now he will go in search of achieving another blow, since in front of him will be a huge contender for the crown as the mighty Flamengo.

AFP