In the first leg of the semifinals of the 2024 Copa Libertadores, Brazil's Botafogo achieved a resounding 5-0 victory over Uruguay's Peñarol. The match, held at the Nilton Santos Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, left the Brazilian team with one foot in the final of the continental tournament. Meanwhile, Peñarol's hopes of clinching their sixth Libertadores faded on a night to forget.
The match started evenly, with Peñarol managing to keep the score at zero until halftime. However, in the second half, Botafogo managed to unlock the game in the 6th minute with a goal from Jefferson Savarino, following a pass from Luiz Henrique. From that moment on, the Brazilian team transformed into an unstoppable force, with Henrique standing out with another assist and a goal.
In less than ten minutes, Botafogo was already leading 3-0 thanks to Savarino and Argentine defender Alexander Barboza. Subsequently, Luiz Henrique scored the fourth goal, and forward Igor Jesús completed the rout with the fifth goal. The emphatic result leaves Botafogo with a considerable advantage heading into the final.
Next Wednesday, at the Estadio Campeón del Siglo in Montevideo, Peñarol will seek to overturn the tie in an attempt to advance to the final or at least improve the overall result of the semifinal. Meanwhile, Botafogo reaffirms its great moment both domestically and continentally, seeking to reach their first Copa Libertadores final.
