Watch the best moments from Botafogo v Vasco | OneFootball

It wasn't easy, but Vasco is in the semifinals of the Copa do Brasil. The game started with pressure from Botafogo, who had good chances with Jeffinho and Alexander Barboza, but it was the Cruz-Maltino who opened the scoring: Philippe Coutinho took a long free-kick, the ball deflected off Neto, hit the post, and fell to Nuno Moreira to score with a header. With the goal, Vasco began to exploit the spaces left by the opponent, and Rayan had a good chance, shooting through the middle, but Neto managed to make the save.

+ Vasco advances to the semifinals of the Copa do Brasil with Léo Jardim from villain to hero

Photo: Thiago Ribeiro/AGIF

Botafogo's equalizer came shortly after when Santi Rodríguez found Joaquim Correa behind the defense. The forward was brought down inside the area, and the referee awarded a penalty. Alex Telles took it with style and leveled the score, keeping the game open. The Rio team had more opportunities with Correa, Arthur Cabral, and Mateo Ponte, but none resulted in a goal, and the break arrived with the feeling that Botafogo was growing in the match.

In the second half, Vasco tried to regain control with Coutinho, who showcased good individual plays, but without success. Botafogo also threatened with moves from Ponte and Alexander Barboza, who hit the post after a cross from Telles. With Coutinho's departure, the Cruz-Maltino team came under pressure and nearly conceded the turnaround with shots from Matheus Martins, all saved by Léo Jardim. In the final minutes, Vasco tried to respond with counterattacks, but the game ended in a draw, taking the decision to penalties.

In the penalty shootout, Léo Jardim shone. The goalkeeper started by saving Telles' shot, the scorer of Botafogo's goal in regular time, and led Vasco's security in the shootout. All the shots from the Gigante da Colina, from Vegetti to Robert Renan, were converted, until the fifth shot secured the classification, defeating Neto and Botafogo. With the victory on penalties, Vasco secured their fifth consecutive qualification this way and now faces Fluminense in the semifinals, with matches scheduled for December 10 and 14. On the other side, Corinthians and Cruzeiro compete for the other spot.

+ How much will Vasco save with the departures of Alex Teixeira and Loide Augusto?

Photo: André Durão/ge

Check out the highlights:

+ Follow Papo na Colina's social media: Thread, Bluesky, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok and Google News

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