Barcelona of Ecuador defeated Corinthians of Brazil 3-0 in the first leg of the third phase of the Copa Libertadores qualifying rounds, putting one foot in the international tournament. Janner Corozo (x2) and Octavio Rivero scored the goals in the match held at the Monumental Banco Pichincha stadium. The second leg will be on March 12 in Brazil.
In another match, Cerro Porteño of Paraguay won 1-0 against Melgar of Peru as the away team, coming very close to qualifying for the group stage. The goal was scored by Piris da Motta from a penalty. The return leg will be next Wednesday in Asunción, where Cerro Porteño will seek to confirm their result.
Barcelona goes into the second leg with a considerable advantage, while Corinthians will need an epic comeback to advance in the competition. Meanwhile, Cerro Porteño will aim to secure their place in the next edition of the Copa Libertadores, with the group draw scheduled for March 17.
