Copa Libertadores 2018: Evaluating the first qualifying stage
By Zach Bigalke
Oriente Petrolero (Bolivia)
The home team won each match in the two legs pitting Bolivia’s Oriente Petrolero against Peru’s Universitario. In the first leg, the Bolivian club prevailed 2-0 at home in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Ronaldo Sánchez poached a first-half goal for the hosts. Maximiliano Freitas added a second goal less than 15 minutes before the final whistle.
More from Playing for 90
- Alexia Putellas reaches 400 games with Barcelona
- Everything you need to know ahead of the 250th ‘Super Clásico’
- Barcelona put five past Real Betis
- Manchester City suffer but come away with win over West Ham
- Baffling Liga MX ruling strips Puebla of a hard-earned victory
On the return leg at Estadio Monumental in Lima, Universitario poured on the offense. The Peruvians got on the scoreboard in the seventh minute as Aldo Corzo nodded a header past Alejandro Gómez. Corzo added a second header in the 60th minute, and Daniel Chávez put La U ahead on aggregate five minutes later.
Oriente Petrolero, though, still had energy in reserve. The goal that put the Bolivians through on away goals, though, came from an unlikely source. Center-back Jorge Paredes turned around fortunes for the visitors less than a month after signing with the club, scoring the go-ahead goal in the 84th minute.
Now Oriente Petrolero must prepare for an all-Bolivian showdown in the second qualifying stage. Their opponents in the next round are domestic rivals Jorge Wilstermann. The two sides have played 30 times, with Oriente Petrolero enjoying a 13-8-9 advantage all time in the series.