Peru’s Alianza Lima beat Boca Juniors in shoot-out to qualify for Copa Libertadores

Peru’s Alianza Lima beat Boca Juniors in shoot-out to qualify for Copa Libertadores

February 26 – Alianza Lima of Peru defeated Boca Juniors 5-4 from the penalty spot to eradicate the Argentinians from the Copa Libertadores qualifiers. 

Alan Velasco did not convert his spot kick within the shootout, permitting Lima to assert a historic victory and progress to the third and last spherical of qualifying for the competitors, the South American equal of Europe’s Champions League.

Lima had gained the primary leg 1-0 on dwelling soil however capitulated 2-1 at La Bombonera earlier than prevailing within the penalty sequence. Boca had their share of dangerous luck as Milton Giménez hit the bar and Edison Cavani missed an ideal alternative within the last minutes of the match.

The Peruvians have been rewarded with a tie in opposition to Chile’s Deportes Iquique who knocked out one other Argentinian membership Independiente Santa Fe.

Following the elimination, supervisor Fernando Gago insisted that he gained’t step down, saying: “It’s an enormous blow. It’s a recreation we deserved to win. We had a number of possibilities, however it didn’t occur.

“It’s a ache, it’s an ideal unhappiness that now we have within the dressing room, that the followers have. We proceed to work. From that, we are going to proceed to develop.”

“I really feel 100% robust. However we’re going to maintain working. We have now to be self-critical and, primarily based on that, preserve working.”

It’s the second season in a row that Boca Juniors gained’t function within the Copa Libertadores. In 2023, they completed as runners-up, however final 12 months they participated in Copa Sulamaricana, the second tier of continental membership competitors. The elimination by Lima will elevate the strain on membership president and legend Juan Roman Riquelme who was elected in 2023.

In the summertime Boca Juniors will play Benfica, Bayern Munich and Auckland Metropolis in Group B of the expanded Membership World Cup in the USA.

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