After a 0-0 draw in the first leg at home, Estudiantes were underdogs heading into the deciding match of the Copa Libertadores. Cruzeiro had been strong at Estádio Mineirão, and had created plenty of chances away from home. Tonight's match remained scoreless until early in the second half, when Cruzeiro's Henrique scored a deflected goal to give the home side an advantage. At that point, it would have been difficult to imagine Estudiantes winning, at least without at least having to go to penalties. But Los Pincharratas answered almost immediately, with Gata Fernandez touching in Cristian Cellay's brilliant centering ball. The next 15 minutes passed with both sides threatening, until Veron's corner was met by the head of Mauro Boselli, giving Estudiantes a 2-1 lead they managed to hold.
It is Estudiantes' fourth Copa Libertadores win, and their first since 1970, when Juan Ramon Veron captained the team. Tonight, his son Juan Sebastian captained the side. La Brujita was all over tonight, performing well in virtually every phase of the game, playing a key role in route to winning his first Libertadores title at the age of 34. The victory means Estudiantes, whose win may come as a shock to some (they didn't finish in the top 5 of this season's Apertura or Clausura in Argentina), will compete in the Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi. They'll likely be seen as the main challengers to FC Barcelona.
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