Belo Horizonte (IANS) FC Cruzeiro have advanced to the Copa Libertadores quarter-finals with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over their Brazilian rivals Sao Paulo.
Leandro Damiao scored the only goal of normal time at the Mineirao stadium with a 55th minute strike that levelled the tie at 1-1 on Wednesday, reports Xinhua.
With South America’s premier club competition eschewing extra time, the match went straight to penalties after 90 minutes.
Damiao missed his effort from the spot, as did his teammate Manoel. But Sao Paulo fared worse during the shootout with Souza, Luis Fabiano and Lucao all missing their attempts.
“It was an impeccable match,” Cruzeiro coach Marcelo Oliveira said.
“The players were really focused, organized, prepared to fight and defend. That put us in a position to win.”
In Sao Paulo, Paraguay’s Guarani beat nine-man Corinthians 1-0 at the Itaquerao Stadium to progress with a surprise 3-0 aggregate victory.
Fernando Fernandez netted the only goal of the match in the 92nd minute after Fabio Santos and Jadson were sent off for the Brazilian side.
Meanwhile Internacional advanced to the last eight after overcoming fellow Brazilians Atletico Mineiro 3-1 in Porto Alegre. The result gave Internacional a 5-3 victory over two legs.
