Copa Libertadores: Goalkeeping Howler Sinks Botafogo, River Plate Rescue a Point
Matchday 3 of the Copa Libertadores group stage continued with six more fixtures that delivered high drama, late twists, and one unforgettable goalkeeper mistake.
Botafogo Suffer Second Defeat After Goalkeeping Blunder
Botafogo, reigning champions of Brazil, fell to their second loss of the tournament, this time at the hands of Argentine giants Estudiantes. The defining moment of the match came courtesy of a shocking error by goalkeeper John Victor, who inexplicably failed to deal with a routine shot from Carrillo. The ball slipped through in a moment that will no doubt be replayed across South America—and not for the right reasons.
The 1–0 defeat leaves Botafogo under pressure in their group, with questions mounting about their defensive reliability.
River Plate Avoid Disaster in Ecuador
River Plate, the club with the highest CONMEBOL ranking, managed to avoid a shock defeat against Independiente del Valle in Quito, battling back for a 2–2 draw. The Argentine side have just one win in three matches but still top Group B thanks to a tightly contested group table.
Despite their inconsistent start, River Plate remain contenders—but improvement will be needed if they aim to challenge for the trophy they last lifted in 2018.
2025, Copa Libertadores
Day : 2025-04-24
"Estudiantes" - "Botafogo" 1:0 (1:0)
Goals : Carrillo G., 38 (1:0)
"Independiente del Valle" - "River Plate" 2:2 (2:0)
Goals : Spinelli, 24 (1:0); Spinelli, 30 (2:0); Galoppo, 68 (2:1); Driussi, 74 (2:2)
Yellow Cards : - Colidio 42; Pezzella G. 60; Armani 88; Montiel 90; Kranevitter 90
"Libertad" - "São Paulo" 0:2 (0:0)
Goals : Lucas Ferreira, 62 (0:1); André Silva, 83 (0:2)
Yellow Cards : - Marcos Antônio 49; André Silva 69
"At. Bucaramanga" - "Fortaleza" 1:1 (0:1)
Goals : Deyverson, 19 (0:1); Pons L., 89 (penalty) (1:1)
Yellow Cards : - Gustavo Mancha 36; Welison Ze 45; Diogo Barbosa 51
"Olimpia" - "Peñarol" 0:0
"San Antonio Bulo Bulo" - "Vélez Sarsfield" 2:1 (1:0)
Goals : Gomez E., 26 (own goal) (1:0); Santos M., 86 (own goal) (2:0); Montoro, 90 (2:1)
