With a brace from Reinaldo, Grêmio triumphed this Tuesday by 2-1 against Fluminense in the first leg of the round of 16 of the CONMEBOL Libertadores, after holding off the reigning champions’ constant attacks with one player less.
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Grêmio, playing at home, confirmed their good moment in the competition with this result, having finished second in the group stage.
The first half ended 0-0 in a fast-paced and balanced game, where Fluminense dominated ball possession while Grêmio constantly threatened with counterattacks.
Fluminense came back from the break more aggressive, and the first goal came quickly when in the 60th minute, just after entering the match, Lima received a pass from Ganso in the area and sent the ball into the back of the net.
In the 76th minute, however, a penalty for a handball inside the area of the carioca team led Grêmio to equalize the match with a shot from Reinaldo, who just three minutes later scored again to put his team ahead.
Despite the expulsion of Rodrigo Ely for an aggression against Ganso, Grêmio managed to withstand Fluminense’s attacks until the final whistle.
The Porto Alegre team, three-time Libertadores champions, arrived at the match after being eliminated last week from the Copa do Brasil but with better results in the league, where they sit in thirteenth place.
Meanwhile, Fluminense, who is also out of the Cup, remains mired in the relegation zone of the league after a disastrous start to the season.