The Montevideo City Torque Uruguayan and the Barcelona Ecuadorian equaled this Tuesday 1-1 in the match that opened the sixty-third edition of the Libertadores Cup. Joaquín Zeballos for the locals and Gonzalo Mastriani for the visitors scored the goals at the Centenario stadium.
There, on the field where Palmeiras lifted the cup in November 2021, the ball of the main continental competition at club level rolled again 73 days later. And although many things changed from that game, one thing remained: the importance of the number 9. That afternoon, when the clock read 96, Deyverson scored the goal that crowned those led by the Portuguese Abel Ferreira, minutes after Gabigol Barboza temporarily tied the game for Flamengo. This Tuesday, six minutes into the game, the Uruguayan Mastriani took advantage of a great Byron Castillo rating and showed why he was chosen to lead his team’s attack. A shot that hit the post and another after capturing the rebound of that play allowed him to put the visitors, one of the semifinalists of the Libertadores 2021, ahead.
With Barcelona winning 0-1, the Uruguayans turned to the attack although they did not create any great danger for goalkeeper Javier Burrai. On the other side, Leonel Quiñónez tried a free kick and Mastriani narrowly missed a play in which he was blocked by Tiago Palacios as he was about to score. Thus, the first half ended in defeat for the locals, who are playing the Libertadores for the first time in their history.
At the beginning of the second half, Montevideo City went on the attack again at the same time that Barcelona was falling back on the field. At minute 65, after a cross from Agustín Peña, winger José Álvarez took a powerful shot that Joaquin Zeballos deflected to put equality on the scoreboard. This time he was in charge of commanding the attack of the team belonging to the City Football Group, which scored and put definitive figures for the match.
Thus everything remained to be resolved in the return, which will be played on February 15 at the Monumental Isidro Romero stadium, where the locals will not be able to count on the Argentine Damián ‘Kitu’ Díaz, who was expelled after being replaced.
