Fortaleza failed to qualify for the group stage of the Copa Libertadores after being defeated by 2-1 by Cerro Porteño (Paraguay), this Thursday (16) at La Olla stadium, in Asunción. Leão do Pici was already in a complicated situation in the third preliminary phase of the competition after losing 1-0 to the Paraguayans in the first leg, last week in Castelão. Now Fortaleza will move on to the group stage of the Copa Sudamericana.
? Game over! O @CCP1912oficial won the @FortalezaEC 2-1 and advanced to the Group Stage.
?? For the first time in history, the Paraguayan team eliminated a Brazilian in a CONMEBOL knockout #Liberators.
? The Lion will play CONMEBOL #Sudamericana! pic.twitter.com/CPDwbMOG90
— CONMEBOL Libertadores (@LibertadoresBR) March 16, 2023
Needing to score goals to keep dreaming of qualifying for the Libertadores groups, Fortaleza made an effort to open the scoring, creating the first opportunity in the sixth minute with Lucero and Thiago Galhardo. However, Cerro was more efficient and overcame goalkeeper João Ricardo in the 37th minute with Carrizo, who took advantage of the ball that exploded on the crossbar to finish first.
In the 16th minute of the final stage, the Paraguayan team practically sealed their classification with a beautiful goal by Aquino, who hit with a volley after the ball was crossed to the edge of the area. From then on, Leão do Pici desperately advanced towards the attack and offered space for Cerro, who even surpassed goalkeeper João Ricardo on two more occasions, but the goals were correctly annulled.
In the end, Fortaleza still managed to score its honor with Guilheme, but the vacancy in the Libertadores groups had already been lost.
