Uruguayan champions Nacional defeated Deportivo Cuenca of Ecuador 3-2 in an action-packed Copa Libertadores Group 6 clash at the Parque Central stadium of Montevideo on Thursday. Nacional were pushed all the way by a dangerous Cuenca side, but they proved their superiority right at the end.
Nacional started the stronger of the two sides, however, the visitors went into the break ahead with an unlikely strike from Jose Granda in the 25th minute.
The Uruguayans drew level one minute into the second half with a conversion from former Valencia winger Mario Regueiro.
It was Regueiro again who put Nacional ahead in the 65th minute with a close-range goal, which sparked the Parque Central stadium to life.
However, two minutes later Luis Miguel Escalada equalised for Cuenca when he headed the ball home after an earlier free-kick hit the left post.
Five minutes from full-time man-of-the-match Angel Morales of Argentina earned Nacional the three points when he converted a penalty kick.
In Group 3, defending champions Estudiantes de La Plata thumped Juan Aurich of Peru 5-1 with a superb hat-trick from Mauro Boselli — the top goal-scorer of the ´09 Libertadores — and other goals from German Re and Leandro Gonzalez.
In the group´s other fixture, Cerro Porteno came from behind to fight out a 1-1 draw with Independiente Medellin in Paraguay.
Wednesday´s matches
In a clash between two former champions, Velez Sarsfield beat Cruzeiro 2-0, while Banfield edged Morelia 2-1. Both games were played in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires.
Three-time winners of the competition, Sao Paulo, defeated Monterrey of Mexico 2-0 with a goal in each half from veteran striker Washington.
Finally, Alianza Lima returned home with a 3-1 victory over Bolivar of Bolivia.
Gregory Sica
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Estuidantes will win it again look at that five goals Boselli is genious a great player and should go to a better club than Birmingham.
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i doubt boselli will stay in SA for too long, that guy is a goal scoring freak
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Boselli is a fantastic player and showed in the club world cup that he can take on the big boys in europe. Come to Bolton Boselli!
Cheers
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