Sao Paulo, July 7 (BNA): Argentine football giants River Plate and Boca Juniors will miss the Copa Libertadores this season, although they are favourites in the round of 16. Their exit gave the favored status to the Brazilian teams, who have dominated the tournament in recent years and are looking strong once again to lift the title.
Only Brazilian and Argentine teams will play the quarter-finals of the tournament, with two Brazilian teams and one Argentine reaching the semi-finals, the Associated Press reported.
River lost on Wednesday at the Monumental de Nunez stadium after a 0-0 draw with local rivals Velez Sarsfield, who won the first leg last week 1-0. New Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez played his last match with the hosts, who protested a late goal that was canceled after a video review.
Velez will face another Argentine side, Talleres, who won a 3-1 draw against compatriot Colon on aggregate. Earlier on Wednesday, Talleres beat his opponent away from home 2-0, with two goals scored by Federico Girotti in the 47th minute and Angelo Martino in stoppage time.
On Tuesday, Boca were eliminated by Brazil’s Corinthians at La Bombonera after two matches without goals and a 6-5 defeat on penalties. Striker Dario Benedetto missed two penalties for the hosts. Someone hit the post in the first and second half, which could have been the penalty shootout winner, was off target and high.
Corinthians played two draws without most of their key players, including ex-Chelsea winger Willian and Maicon, ex-Chelsea player Shakhtar Donetsk. Boca’s elimination against a team crushed by injuries cost him coach Sebastian Battaglia’s job.
Corinthians will play local rival Flamengo in the quarter-finals.
Flamengo beat Colombia’s Tolima 7-1 at the Maracana on Wednesday after winning 1-0 at home last week. The striker Pedro scored four goals.
Flamengo could have hired Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal in the quarter-finals. The 35-year-old, who had just left Inter Milan, was at the Maracana to watch the Flamengo win, and said a contract agreement with the Rio de Janeiro club was close.
Defending champion Palmeiras beat Paraguay 5-0 Cerro Porteno without much effort after winning 3-0 away. Palmeiras will face the defending champion, Atletico Mineiro, in a repeat of last season’s semi-finals. Mineiro beat Ecuador’s Emelec 1-0 on Tuesday.
The only game remaining in the round of 16 will take place on Thursday, when Argentina’s Estudiantes de la Plata face underdog Brazilian side Fortaleza after a 1-1 draw last week.
The winner of the match will face Brazil’s Atletico, who ousted Paraguay’s Libertad in the last minute, with a 1-1 draw in Asuncion. The Brazilians, coached by Luis Felipe Scolari, their World Cup winning coach, had won the first leg at home 2-1.