Fluminense beat Olimpia 3-1 with a great performance by Argentine Germán Cano, who scored a double. The Dean has a difficult outlook and appeals to the encouragement of the people from him.
Olimpia appeared tonight at the Nilton Santos stadium (‘Engenhão’) in Rio de Janeiro to face Fluminense for the first leg match corresponding to Phase 3 of Conmebol Libertadores 2022.
Julio César Cáceres’s team chose to regulate the pace and control the proposal of the traditional carioca, knowing that there are 120 long minutes of qualifying.
The first moments were of total local domination, so much so that Gastón Olveira could not get rid of the ball. The Flu asserted the initiative and opened the account in the 12th minute through a header from the Argentine Germán Cano at the far post.
El Franjeado did not despair or try to tie in a crazy way, he took it easy. And fortune smiled on him, and quickly, because five minutes later there was a blooper by goalkeeper Fábio, who gave the ball to Derlis González at the start for the equalizer (17′).
The goal of the Paraguayan number 10 -or the goalkeeper’s error- undermined the confidence of the hosts. Fluminense didn’t dare to fully rush into the attack and gave up part of the possession, thus Olimpia came to dominate the game’s passages, leveling the process.
The intensity of the initial 30′ took its toll on the Dean. He finished the first stage with his tongue on his chest and Víctor Salazar, Gastón Olveira, Richard Ortíz and Saúl Salcedo admonished by referee Facundo Tello.
And everything changed. The thing got complicated as soon as the complementary started.
Fluminense shot out of the locker room after the restart and thanks to a Maradonian inspiration from sprinter Luiz Enrique, he returned to the top of the scoreboard (47′).
For more, Iván Torres (53′) joined the group of cautioned and confirmed his absence in the second leg due to accumulation of cards.
Fábio redeemed his mistake by blocking what could have been the tying goal from Saúl Salcedo (66′) and, on the next play, the figure of the match appeared again, the Argentinian Cano, for the 3-1 (68′).
The Dean brought danger and generated situations to cut the score, but without success.
Fluminense took the first round and with a very good income in his favor.
At the end there was a riot among the players that culminated in warnings, one for Antolín Alcaraz.
It is hard but not impossible. Olimpia now hangs on one of those memorable nights to enter the Group Phase. He only has to appeal to the breath of his fans.
The rematch will be played next Wednesday from 9:30 p.m. at Defensores del Chaco.
