The Brazilian club Fluminense won the first Copa Libertadores in its history by beating the Argentine team Boca Juniors in the final (2-1 after extra time) on Saturday at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
Published on: 05/11/2023 – 08:20
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Historic victory for Fluminense. The Brazilian club won its first Copa Libertadores in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, November 4, beating Boca Juniors (2-1 after extra time) in the final.
Fluminense’s Argentinian German Cano opened the scoring in the 36th minute, his thirteenth goal in this Copa Libertadores at the age of 35, by taking a cross from the right from Keno from the penalty spot. Peruvian right-back Luis Advincula equalized in the 73rd with a superb curling shot from the left from outside the area.
Then John Kennedy scored the Brazilian winning goal in overtime (99th) before being sent off for celebrating his goal too much with the supporters. John Kennedy came on in the 80th minute.
Boca Juniors also finished at ten after the exclusion of Colombian defender Frank Fabra for slapping Nino (105th).
The Argentine club, crowned six times, also lost for the sixth time in the final of this competition – the South American equivalent of the European Champions League.
In good memory of Cavani and Marcelo
This final allowed us to see old European acquaintances such as the former Naples and PSG scorer Edinson Cavani (36 years old) on the Boca Juniors side, and the multi-titled former Real Madrid defender Marcelo (35 years old) on the Fluminense side. Both were replaced in the second half.
Fluminense succeeds another Brazilian club, its great rival Flamengo, winner of Atlético Paranaense (1-0) in the final in Guayaquil in 2022.
The last Argentine club in the final was River Plate – beaten (2-1) by Flamengo in Lima in 2019.
The last clash between Fluminense and Boca Juniors dates back to May 2012 in the quarter-finals of the same Copa Libertadores. Boca Juniors had qualified for the semi-finals.
Fluminense lost its only final on penalties in 2008 against Ecuadorian club LDU Quito.
Boca Juniors was in its twelfth final, with six victories and now as many defeats, one success behind the record held by another Argentine club, Independiente (7 victories in 7 finals).
With AFP
