Diego Cavalieri

Pablo Mouche scored in the 52nd minute for Boca Juniors and it was enough for the club to beat a 10 man Fluminense in the first leg match between the two clubs in the Copa Libertadores. It also meant that Fluminense’s run of five successive victories was also broken and they need to perform extremely well in the second leg in order to ensure qualification to the semifinals of the competition. The quarter-final match between the two clubs was expected to be a close encounter and it turned out to be the same. However, the goal from Pablo Mouche in the 52th minute was enough for the Argentine club to beat the Brazilians.

Despite having performed extremely well for the remaining of the match, Fluminense will be extremely disappointed that having lost the match. Former Liverpool goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri was extremely impressive in goal, but he could do nothing about the goal from Boca Juniors. Fluminense were reduced to 10 men after Carlinhos was sent off midway through the first half. It proved to be a contentious decision as it meant that Fluminense were unable to get back into the game since then. They managed to protect their goal for long periods of the game, which gives them a fighting chance in the return leg.

“We needed to win at home and after the first goal we were hopeful of getting another. But we lacked finishing. We didn’t bother them as much as we should have,” said Boca Juniors midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme after the match. Fluminense he will have an important match against Corinthians in between the two legs of the quarter-final match. Meanwhile, Boca Juniors will be having the match against Racing Club. In the other quarter-final match, Vasco da Gama and Corinthians were involved in a 0-0 draw.