Heartbreak and Elimination for River Plate as Internacional Triumph in Penalties

In an endless penalty shootout, Internacional de Porto Alegre edged past River Plate with a 9-8 victory, sealing the fate of River Plate's elimination from the Conmebol Libertadores in the round of 16.

Throughout the match, the River Plate side was clearly outplayed, finding themselves down 2-0 on the scoreboard. Yet, in the 90th minute, Robert Rojas emerged as the protagonist by scoring a crucial goal to narrow the gap and equalize the aggregate score at 3-3. However, Rojas became both a hero and villain, as despite revitalizing the Argentine team, he ultimately missed the final penalty for his side in the shootout. To secure the ticket to the next round, Inter's goalkeeper Sergio Rochet stepped up to take the decisive shot, clinching the qualification for the Brazilian squad.