It remains all to play for in the Copa Libertadores quarter-finals after Colo-Colo and River Plate played out a fiery 1-1 first-leg draw on Tuesday.
Scorer: Palacios 61′; Pezzella 43′. Red cards: Falcón 90′; Díaz 90′
Football can be a game of margins and that was the case inside a rocking Estadio Monumental David Arellano. Colo-Colo dominated with 63% possession but couldn’t find their perfect touch, and a handful of first-half chances fell short.
Leonardo Gil received the ball from a backheel flick and his one-time volley hit the crossbar. Javier Correa’s long-range shot later flew over and goalkeeper Franco Armani denied his header.
River Plate, meanwhile, struck against the run of play when their best chance arrived. The visitors were awarded a free-kick right before the break and Germán Pezzella’s acrobatic left-footed finish found the net for the opener.
Coming out after the break, Colo-Colo continued to dominate the tie and suggested 30 seconds in that a comeback was on. It took until the hour mark for the hosts to pull through, thanks to a bit of help from VAR.
Veteran Arturo Vidal pulled off a slick pass to Carlos Palacios and the No. 7 took one touch before spinning and drilling home the equaliser. Initially ruled out for offside, VAR allowed the goal to stand by mere inches.
The remainder of the game continued to be a tense and nervy affair with true chances slim. Instead, rash challenges were the theme as both sides pushed for a late winner.
Such an atmosphere led to two double yellow cards, one for each team. Maximiliano Falcón and Paulo Díaz were sent off in the dying moments after refusing to stop tussling in the box.
It’s the hosts who will feel more frustrated of the two having not found a way to win the game on home turf. But this draw sets up a tasty second leg in Argentina next Tuesday.