Botafogo destroys Sao Paulo on penalties

Botafogo Morumbí silenced this Wednesday, after removing the São Paulo in the penalty shootout (4-5) after 1-1 in 90 minutes, and reached the semifinals of Libertadores Cup 51 years later, round where Peñarol or Flamengo will be measured.

Argentine Thiago Almada put the Rio de Janeiro team in front in the 15th minute, but his compatriot Jonathan Calleri left everything the same in the 87th minute and took the tie and contested the dispute between Brazil’s teams, which had only been tied goalless in the first leg, on penalties. Calleri himself, who hit the post with his shot, and Rodrigo Nestor, who couldn’t beat goalkeeper John, failed and gave classification to a Botafogo team that had not been to the Libertadores semi-finals since 1973.

Then the Rio club was led by Jairzinho. Today, it is led by the portfolio of the American magnate John Textor, whose project is beginning to bear fruit: leaders in the Brazilian League and among the four best in South America. Cruel finish for Sao Paulo, who also missed a penalty in regulation time.

As in Rio, the fear of making a mistake dominates the 22 soccer players in the São Paulo fiefdom, all decked out for the occasion. And it was in those that Botafogo struck the first blow: with a bad start by Luiz Gustavo. Venezuelan Jefferson Savarino rushed to the baseline and put in a cross that was denied by Rafael, who had the misfortune to land on Almada’s head.

On the plus side, Botafogo didn’t spend much on the rival area, but its verticality is a constant problem for the locals. His game flowed. Igor Jesus delayed his position to dislodge the centre-backs, Almada appeared between the lines and Luiz Henrique and Savarino were constant threats on the wings.

Sao Paulo coach Luis Zubeldía quickly ran out of patience and in the 36th minute he brought on Luciano for William Gomes, a promising 18-year-old. Until then, Sao Paulo’s plan was limited to putting long balls to Calleri. However, Luciano’s entry brought the fun back to the tricolor. Bobadilla gave the first warning after a corner with a good shot that was narrowly deflected by Luiz Henrique.

On that play, VAR detected a handball by Bastos inside the area that blocked a header from Lucas Moura. It’s one of those controversial hands, not on purpose, but that blew the whistle at the time. Penalty that Lucas Moura did not know how to take advantage of. The former Tottenham player put his foot too far and the ball scraped the crossbar and went wide.

Despite everything, the São Paulo team continued to improve in the second half. Seeing himself in water up to his neck was good for him. Meanwhile, Botafogo allowed themselves to be dominated to come out on the counterattack. Although he played with fire and got burned. Calleri, alone at the far post and a few meters from the goal line, made an unforgivable mistake after a cross from Luciano crossed the area. The Argentine striker redeemed himself in the last breath with a vintage header, coming from behind and rising higher than anyone else, to tie and concede the tie on penalties.

Nervous on the sidelines, the two benches clashed in injury time. The fight ended with Rafinha, already on the bench, and Roberto Junior Fernández, Botafogo’s replacement, sent off. In penalties, John stopped Rodrigo Nestor’s shot and Matheus Martins scored himself to give the Rio team the ticket.

TECHNICAL SHEET

1 – São Paulo: Raphael; Rafinha (d.75 Igor Vinícius), Robert Arboleda, Alan Franco, Welington (d.83 Michel Araújo); Luiz Gustavo, Damián Bobadilla (d.75 Rodrigo Nestor); Wellington Rato (d.83 André Silva), Lucas Moura, William Gomes (d.36 Luciano); and Jonathan Calleri
Instructor: Luis Zubeldía
1 -Botafogo: John; Vitinho, Bastos, Alexander Barboza (m.60 Adryelson), Alex Telles (m.83 Fernando Marçal); Marlon Freitas, Gregore (d.83 Danilo Barbosa); Luiz Henrique (d.70 Matheus Martins), Jefferson Savarino (d.70 Tchê Tchê), Thiago Almada; and Igor Jesus
Coach: Artur Jorge
Objectives: 1-0, Thiago Almada (m. 15); 1-1, Calleri (m. 87)
Penalty shootouts: 0-0: Calleri, in the post and out. 0-1: Tchê Tchê, goal. 1-1: Luiz Gustavo, goal. 1-2: Danilo Barbosa, goal. 2-2: Lucas Moura, goal. 2-3: Marçal. 3-3: Igor Vínicius, goal. 3-3: Vitinho, gone. 4-3: Luciano, goal. 4-4: Thiago Almada, goal. 4-4: Rodrigo Nestor, John stopped. 4-5: Matheus Martins, goal
Referee: Argentine Darío Herrera sent off Rafinha and Roberto Junior Fernández (m.92) for double yellow cards and warned Barboza, John, Bobadilla, Rodrigo Nestor, Marçal and Igor Vinícius
Incidents: second leg match of the quarterfinals of the 2024 Copa Libertadores, played at the Morumbí stadium, in the Brazilian city of São Paulo.