Estudiantes boss on Libertadores exit to Flamengo: "If we hadn't..." | OneFootball

Estudiantes (ARG) even beat Flamengo, but came up short in the penalty shootout

Flamengo even ‘struggled’, but qualified for the semifinals of the Libertadores this Thursday (25th), after defeating Estudiantes (ARG) in the penalty shootout. The coach of the Argentine team, Eduardo Domínguez, stated that the first leg at Maracanã was decisive for the elimination of the club from La Plata.

— If we had gone in with conviction and hadn’t conceded a goal so quickly at Maracanã, I don’t know what would have happened. We want to hold on to what happened today. The series ended tied and Estudiantes played a great series against a team that was the favorite — he said, before concluding:

— I believe we were up to the task, despite the enormous differences that exist between the teams. Today I believe we made the difference with the mentality we played with. Despite the big differences in speed, experience, hierarchy, today we controlled them for a long time — concluded the Estudiantes coach.

How was the match between Flamengo and Estudiantes?

The first leg of the quarterfinals took place at Maracanã, with Flamengo as the home team. Thus, Mengão opened the scoring just 15 seconds in, with Pedro, and extended the lead at ten minutes, with Varela. In the final stretch of the match, Carrillo pulled one back for Estudiantes.

Therefore, the decisive match took place this Thursday (25th), in La Plata. Needing a win, Estudiantes found the net at the end of the first half, with Benedetti. With the 1-0 victory, the spot in the semifinals was decided by penalties, and Flamengo came out on top after Rossi saved two penalties.

Who will Flamengo face in the Libertadores semifinal?

Flamengo took the field against Estudiantes already knowing who they would face in a possible Libertadores semifinal: Racing (ARG). The team from Avellaneda eliminated Vélez Sarsfield (ARG) 2-0 on aggregate.

Therefore, the first clash with Racing will take place on October 21, 22, or 23, at Maracanã. Finally, the decisive match will be held on October 28, 29, or 30, at El Cilindro, in Avellaneda.

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