Colombian Rafael Santos Borré burned the dynamic he had kept for a long time and scored a hat-trick with which River Plate won 2-6 at the Uruguayan National this Thursday in Montevideo and settled in the semifinals of the Copa Libertadores by fourth consecutive time.
At a high level from the start of the match and until the 90th minute, the set was led by Marcelo Gallardo crushed his rival with an overall 2-8 and in the semifinals will meet with the Brazilian Palmeiras.
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Conditioned by the 2-0 against that suffered in the first leg, the National was sent from the beginning to the attack with a 1-3-4-3 in its tactical drawing. However, coach Jorge Giordano’s plan was broken in the 20th minute when goalkeeper Sergio Rochet was sent off after committing a hard foul on striker Matías Suárez.
With numerical superiority, the River Plate took the reins of the party and seven minutes later it went ahead in the tanteador with a golazo of Jorge Carrascal. The shot at the corner of the Colombian opened the game and closed the series.
With individual impulses, mainly from Ayrton Cougo and Pablo García, the Tricolor tried to create danger, although it is not easy to get close to the goal defended by Franco Armani.
River Plate, meanwhile, opted for the counterattack and found the second goal in the 44th minute with an impressive shot from Uruguayan Nicolás de la Cruz.
Far from staying, the local was once again at the front and found his prize in added time when Cougo finished a good collective play and sold the 1-2.
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After 49 minutes, a mistake by the home side’s left defense allowed Bruno Zuculini to get through. He outclassed the home side’s keeper, adding another goal for the visitors.
With the 1-5 against in the global, Giordano removed from the field of play Gonzalo Bergessio and the ‘Chory’ Gonzalo Castro, his two most veteran footballers, and gave entry to Ignacio Lores and Santiago Rodríguez, who moments after jumping to the campo scored the 2-3.
From that moment came the magical night of Borré, who scored the fourth goal after a cross from Gonzalo Montiel.
At 73, Borré was again on the scoreboard, again with the assistance of Gonzalo Montiel.
Borré sold his hat-trick in the 80s, again enabled by Montiel.
The number 19 recorded in the 66th, 73rd and 79th minutes and closed a dream night for a team that, with the help of the ‘Muñeco’ Gallardo, is looking for its third consecutive final and its fifth Copa Libertadores.
SPORTS
With Efe