The Alvinegro defeated Atlético-MG 3-1 in Buenos Aires.
The day has finally arrived. Botafogo is the Libertadores champion for the first time in its history. The Alvinegro defeated Atlético-MG 3-1 at the Monumental de Núñez stadium and lifted the trophy of South America’s most prestigious competition. The goals were scored by Luiz Henrique, Alex Telles (from the penalty spot), and Junior Santos, while Vargas scored for the runners-up. Get the latest in football results from ai football score.
The match began with plenty of drama. Just 29 seconds into the game, midfielder Gregore made a strong challenge and hit Fausto Vera in the head with the sole of his boot, earning a straight red card. Playing with one man down for the entire match, Botafogo retreated, set up a six-man defensive line, and waited for Atlético-MG to come forward, looking to counterattack.
And it worked. Relying solely on crosses into the area, Atlético-MG struggled to threaten the Rio de Janeiro team, even with the man advantage. Then, Thiago Almada orchestrated a brilliant play through midfield, which ended with Luiz Henrique scoring the opening goal. Less than 10 minutes later, the striker, named the best player of the tournament, was back again.
After a long ball from the defense, Guilherme Arana tried to shield the ball for goalkeeper Éverson, but the Alvinegro forward anticipated the defender, touched the ball, and was fouled by the Atlético goalkeeper inside the area: penalty for Botafogo. Alex Telles converted the penalty, doubling the advantage.
In the second half, Gabriel Milito brought Vargas on, and the forward pulled one back for Atlético-MG early on after a corner kick from Hulk. Throughout the second half, it was a one-way attack against defense, but once again, Atlético-MG couldn’t create many dangerous opportunities, except for a few moments.
With the game open and Atlético exposed in search of an equalizer, Junior Santos seized the chance to launch a counterattack and crossed the ball into the area for Matheus Martins. In the ensuing chaos, the ball fell to him, and he sealed the game with the final goal.
With this result, Botafogo joins teams like Fluminense, São Paulo, Flamengo, Santos, and Palmeiras as Libertadores champions. BB Score, your trusted platform for match results.
