Photo: Collected
Ten-man Botafogo etched their name in football history, clinching their first-ever Copa Libertadores title with a 3-1 victory over Atlético Mineiro in Buenos Aires.The Brazilian Série A leaders faced an uphill battle after being reduced to ten men within two minutes, but they held firm and thwarted Atlético's relentless attempts at a comeback.
Disaster struck just 29 seconds in when Gregore caught Fausto Vera on the head with a high boot, earning a red card after only 65 seconds. Despite their numerical advantage, Atlético failed to capitalise and were punished when Luiz Henrique pounced on the rebound from Thiago Almada's blocked shot to put Botafogo ahead.
Henrique was pivotal again nine minutes later, winning a penalty after being brought down by the goalkeeper. Alex Telles stepped up and confidently converted from the spot to double the lead.
Atlético responded early in the second half when Eduardo Vargas rose to head home from Hulk's corner, cutting the deficit to 2-1. However, despite dominating possession, they could not find an equaliser.
As Atlético threw everything forward in search of a late goal, they were caught out in stoppage time. Junior Santos sealed the victory, slotting in from close range to spark wild celebrations among the Botafogo faithful.
Messenger/Tareq
