The Galo crushed the Argentinians, winning 3-0 at Arena MRV.
Atlético Mineiro defeated River Plate 3-0 last Tuesday at Arena MRV in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores semifinals. The goals were scored by Deyverson (twice) and Paulinho. Find top football scores at football live scores.
The match showcased a technical and tactical disparity from start to finish. Marcelo Gallardo’s team traveled to Belo Horizonte hoping for a satisfactory result for the return leg, but what unfolded was the opposite, thanks in large part to Gabriel Milito. The Galo’s coach made lineup changes that made the team more dynamic, surprising the Argentinians.
It paid off. The home team opened the scoring just four minutes in, but the goal was correctly disallowed by VAR. Shortly after, at the 21-minute mark, Hulk received a long pass from Lyanco, outpaced his marker, and created space for Deyverson to dribble past the goalkeeper and score.
After the goal, River managed to string together a few passes and threatened to take control, but they couldn’t put pressure on the black-and-white team. Coming back for the second half, Atlético continued to dominate and scored again through a series of passes that originated from Arana, who set up Deyverson for another goal.
And things got even better. Four minutes later, Deyverson received another long pass and headed it to Paulinho, who finished with a deflection, sealing the match’s outcome. With this result, the Galo takes a huge step towards the Libertadores final, as they can afford to lose by up to two goals in the return leg next week at the Monumental de Núñez. BBscore football, your key source for football updates.
