After losing in the first leg, Sporting Cristal thrashes Nacional-PAR and advances in the pre-Libertadores

Sporting Cristal, from Peru, entered the field this Tuesday with a disadvantage on the scoreboard against National-PAR. Even so, the team commanded by formerCorinthians Thiago Nunes managed to reverse the result with a 5-1 victory and ensured his advancement in the pre-liberators.

WE GO PHASE. 🙌🙌

CRYSTAL FORCE ALL LIFE!

Sporting Cristal 5-1 National

🏆 @Libertadores #CrystalForce#SomosFamilia pic.twitter.com/1aemnrE8rW

— Club Sporting Cristal (@ClubSCristal) March 1, 2023

The hosts opened the scoring with Irven Ávila in the first minute of the second stage. Nacional-PAR’s response was almost immediate and the tie came 1 minute later, with Gustavo Caballero. At 22 minutes, Sporting Cristal took the lead again on the scoreboard with another goal by Irven Ávila. With 29 on the clock, the Peruvians scored once again with the Brazilian Ignácio.

The goal that confirmed the classification of Sporting Cristal happened at 44, scored by Carlos Lora. At 50, the Peruvians scored yet again, with Washington Corozo.

With the victory, Sporting Cristal will have the opportunity to get a place in the group stage of the liberators de 2023. In the third and final phase of the qualifiers, the Peruvians will face the winner between Boston River, from Uruguay, and Huracán, from Argentina. The teams play the second leg on Wednesday.

Nacional-PAR, on the other hand, will be out of Libertadores this season. The team’s last participation in the continental tournament was in 2014, when they qualified directly for the group stage. The Paraguayans did very well that year and reached the final, but were defeated by San Lorenzo, from Argentina.

In the other pre-Libertadores match played this Tuesday, another team from Paraguay was on the field, but emerged victorious. Cerro Porteño received Curicó Unido, from Chile, and won by 1 to 0. On the aggregate score, the hosts were two goals ahead and advanced in the competition.