Botafogo lived up to expectations and defeated Nacional of Bolivia 2-0, overturning a 1-0 first-leg deficit. The second-leg match was played this evening at the Nilton Santos Olympic Stadium as part of the second qualifying stage of the Copa Libertadores. According to the Argentine News Agency, defender Alex Telles and midfielder Danilo scored the goals, with Telles finding the net just four minutes into the first half and Danilo scoring in the fifth minute of added time. Meanwhile, Chile's O'Higgins managed to build on their first-leg advantage, eliminating Brazilian Bahia after tying 2-2 on aggregate and winning the penalty shootout 4-3. With their respective victories, Botafogo will face Ecuador's Barcelona, while the Chilean team will play the winner between Colombia's Deportes Tolima and Venezuela's Deportivo Táchira. In the fourth minute, a long pass to the left flank allowed Alex Telles, a former Manchester United player, to make a run. He beat his marker with speed and chipped the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper Pedro Galindo. The goal that decided the tie was scored by Danilo, who pounced on a loose ball in the penalty area after a series of rebounds and struck it firmly into the near post. On the other hand, Bahia took the lead in their first dangerous attack, just 20 seconds in. A through ball from midfielder Everton Ribeiro to winger Ademir Santos set up the goal for striker Willian José, who finished with a back-post tap-in. Within 45 minutes, after a penalty was awarded for a hold in the box, Willian José aimed a low shot at the bottom-left corner, which goalkeeper Omar Carabalí saved. However, the rebound was poked in by the center-forward. In the fifth minute of added time, a free-kick to the far post was met with a header from defender Gabriel Xavier, which Carabalí managed to keep out with his left foot near the goal line. The Chilean side leveled the tie eight minutes into the second half with a back-post header from striker Arnaldo Castillo, who was set up by a pass from Argentine midfielder Martín Sarfiore. When the match went to penalties, Castillo missed his shot, brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Ronaldo Strada to his left post. However, the team coached by Lucas Bovaglio recovered thanks to Carabalí, who saved the low shot from Deli and the central effort from experienced Everton Ribeiro, securing O'Higgins' qualification.
