Copa Sul-Americana: Fluminense stumble, semi-final race wide open | OneFootball

The first leg of the Copa Sudamericana quarterfinals has ended and brought a clear picture: no one pulled ahead, but Fluminense was the biggest disappointment. The Tricolor das Laranjeiras lost 1-0 to Lanús in Buenos Aires, conceding a goal at the last minute, and will now have to turn things around at Maracanã to stay alive in the tournament that is still missing from the club’s trophy case.

Meanwhile, Fluminense’s potential opponent in the semifinals played out a dull 0-0 draw in Lima. Alianza and Universidad de Chile played a bureaucratic match and left the tie completely open for the return leg in Santiago.

In the other matchups, balance was also the theme: Atlético-MG drew 2-2 with Bolívar at the altitude of La Paz and will decide at home, while Once Caldas surprised everyone by beating Independiente del Valle 2-0 in Quito, opening up a good advantage for the return leg in Colombia.

However, for Fluminense fans, the main focus is the defeat in Argentina. There is a technical difference between Fluminense and Lanús, but it was not reflected on the field. Renato Gaúcho once again insisted on a trio of defensive midfielders, leaving creativity and verticality aside. The result was a team that controlled possession but did not hurt the opponent, and ended up being punished in stoppage time.

Now, Fluminense will have the obligation to win at Maracanã to keep their dream alive. And, judging by the football shown by Alianza and Universidad de Chile, if they get past the Argentinians, the path to the final becomes even more favorable. But before that, they need to fix at home what was wasted away.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.