San Lorenzo emerged from the shadows in the Copa Sudamericana with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Estudiantes de Mérida, which keeps them in the hunt for their next playoff opponent and a chance to advance to the round of 16. For their part, Sao Paulo sealed their impeccable passage through Group D with a 2-0 win over Tigre.
The Paulista team made it clear that it intends to repeat or improve on its performance in last year’s final, in which Independiente del Valle of Ecuador was crowned champion. In the match played in Sao Paulo, the locals won with two goals in the second half, scored by Juan and Wellington Rato, thus securing their leadership in Group D.
Tigre took second place and will also advance to the playoffs, where it will face eight other teams from the Copa Libertadores in search of a place in the next stage of the Sudamericana.
In another outstanding match, San Lorenzo surprised Estudiantes de Mérida 4-1 at home. The Argentine team had goals from Adam Bareiro, who scored twice (one of them from a penalty), Malcom Braida, and Nahuel Barrios. Luis Arenas scored for the visitors.
As for the other groups in the Copa Sudamericana, several matches were played to define the positions of each team. In Group A, Botafogo and Liga de Quito lead with nine points each. In Group B, Guaraní is in the first position with 8 points. Red Bull Bragantino and Estudiantes lead Group C with 11 points each. In Group E, Newell’s Old Boys have already qualified with 15 points. Defensa y Justicia leads Group F with 12 points. Goiás leads Group G with 9 points, while Fortaleza secured qualification in Group H with 15 points.
These results reflect the excitement and competitiveness of the Copa Sudamericana, where each team fights to advance in the tournament and achieve continental glory.