00:00one of the most dangerous strikers in south america does he still have it we'll find out
00:03but we are underway here in guayaquil barcelona against argentinos juniors the second round of
00:09this year's libertadores thank you for joining us once again here at the estadio monumental
00:34first competitive game of 2026 for the home team the ball away immediately all into the feet of
00:42molina who loses out to quinones it's a foul on the midfielder as we take a first look there at
00:49cesar farias the 52 year old venezuelan has taken charge of barcelona no more
00:56secondo castillo if you remember him from last year in the fancy suits on the touchline
01:01taking over looking to
01:06push barcelona to another title at some point this year up against nicolas
01:17ds
01:18will have certainly felt as though also octavio rivero gabriel cortez joaquin valiente
01:26all out the door as well as goalkeeper ignacio de aruba arena and it leaves this is a very new
01:33look
01:34side under cesar farias to try and very quickly put together
01:41and find something of a groove
01:48well given away by argentinos juniors as tomas martinez looks to bring it forward
02:02playing it down here and stayed down for argentinos juniors
02:08uh
02:10Lescano.
02:19Quinones wins the loose ball for the home team.
02:21Immediately flicks it out wide for Castillo.
02:28Quinones is there again.
02:30First time layoff for Martinez.
02:31Martinez looks for the one-two.
02:34Benedetto was looking for that return.
02:37And now it's given away by Castillo.
02:40It's quickly won back.
02:41Castillo again can cross from deep towards the back post.
02:44Good opportunity.
02:44Headed back down.
02:46Shooting chance for Perlaza.
02:47Taken just off his boots at the final moment.
02:50Best moment so far for Barcelona.
02:52And as I say that, they give the ball away.
02:54And they're open for the counter-attack here.
02:55Lozano overruns it.
02:57Sliding challenge by Lucas Sosa.
03:00Takes Lozano down.
03:01And it will be the game's first yellow card.
03:03Lucas Sosa into the book.
03:07Well, the heavy touch of Lozano invited the challenge.
03:10But he did subsequently get to that next ball.
03:13Before Sosa fractionally.
03:15Sosa going to ground early.
03:18And the 31-year-old.
03:21Cautioned as a result.
03:23And the 31-year-old.
03:25Cautioned as a result.
03:31It's been at the club since 2022.
03:36Although he did spend last season back in Argentina on loan with Newell's old boys.
03:41To no real success.
03:57Lozano is looking, I think, for Molina.
03:59But Lopez-Munoz has slightly got in the way of things.
04:05Rojas.
04:05Rojas.
04:06Got away from Vattori.
04:08Couldn't get away from Lescano.
04:09From Lescano.
04:11And it will be another free kick as Lescano goes down under a challenge from Celis.
04:16And there's another yellow card here already.
04:19And Celis coming in from a Deportivo-Riestra side.
04:24It was certainly physical.
04:27First time Molina has very nearly made that run into space.
04:38Celis.
04:40Rojas crowded in the centre of the field.
04:42And he loses out to Vattori.
04:44In turn.
04:45Gives the ball away.
04:45Quinones steals it from him.
04:48Vattori stretching.
04:49Sliding in.
04:56What we do in Manchester City.
04:57What we do in Manchester City.
05:03What we do is to not get up to Manchester City.
05:11Franchise.
05:11The Garnas.
05:12The Garnas.
05:15What we do in Manchester City.
05:25Helen signs out to einige Hostas versus the state.
05:26We'll kick in an excellent position.
05:33Rocas fancies it.
05:34Martinez is there as well.
05:38It's dealt some way from goal, but Rocas is going to go for it.
05:41And it's not too far away.
05:43Curling and dipping.
06:29I think Argentina's juniors keep possession.
06:35Maybe not where he's most effective.
06:43Excellent little burst from Lopez Munoz.
06:45The passing behind.
06:46Keeper comes at the feet of Molina.
06:49Little dummy into the space.
06:52Burst to acceleration.
06:54And then looking for that killer pass.
07:01The defence.
07:04And if he wants to click into gear and find the level that he so often shows for Argentinos juniors,
07:14then that could be the difference this evening.
07:18Foros.
07:21Lozano back to Fattori.
07:33One and four Prieto.
07:37Tori again.
07:42Once again, the pass, when it does go forward, immediately ends the spell of possession for Argentinos juniors.
08:05No time whistle blows.
08:07No time whistle blows here in Guayaquil.
08:10It's Barcelona nil.
08:13It's Barcelona nil.
08:13Argentina juniors nil.
08:14Now, it's about 45 minutes.
08:20No time whistle.
08:24No time for more.
08:44ON BEANSPORTS.
08:51WE ARE BACK UNDERWAY FOR THE SECOND HALF.
08:55BARSELO TO NIL, ARGENTINOS JUNIORS NIL.
09:00WE HAVEN'T MISSED A GREAT DEAL SO FAR.
09:03SO IT'S A GOOD TIME TO BE STEPPING IN.
09:07UNIOSU HAS BEEN QUIET SO FAR EVEN.
09:10CAN'T GET AWAY FROM HIS MARKER EARLY ON BUT DOESN'T WIN IT BACK IMMEDIATELY.
09:14IT'S A GOOD INTERCEPTION AS BARSELONA AGAIN DIGG IN DEFENSIVELY.
09:18QUIĂONES FORWARD TO BENEDETTO. BENEDETTO WITH THE LAYOFF.
09:22MARTINEZ OUTSIDE OF THE BOOT. WIDE FOR JAO ROJAS WHO CAN NOW RUN
09:27TOWARDS THE BACK LINE OF ARGENTINOS JUNIORS.
09:29DOWN THE LEFT, LOOK FOR THE CROSS, HANGS IT UP TOWARDS THE BACKPOSE.
09:31BENEDETTO'S THERE, VOLLEEP BACK ACROSS, GOAL.
09:33AND WHAT A CHANCE THAT WAS.
09:36BEST MOMENT OF THE GAME BY SOME MARGIN FOR BARSELONA.
09:41AND THOMAS MARTINEZ AT THE BACKPOST.
09:44STUCK OUT A LEG.
09:46HAD HE MADE CONTACT BARSELONA IN FRONT.
09:50HOW CLOSE WAS HE TO BEING ABLE TO DO THAT?
09:53BENEDETTO JUST HAMMERS IT BACK ACROSS THE SIX-YARD BOX.
10:01CAN'T TELL FROM THAT ANGLE, BUT ON FIRST CLARDS LOOKED VERY, VERY...
10:05THAT'S.
10:05HOW JOHN Thank you.
10:06BIANCA.
10:06BIN.
10:07BIANCA.
10:10BIANCA.
10:11BIANCA.
10:14BIANCA.
10:18BIANCA.
10:22BIANCA.
10:40Flicked on, flicked in behind, should be a flag, hit early.
10:45Yalbert was making that run, I think he would have been offside anyway,
10:48but he pecked it, the ball bounced off his shins.
10:50He went straight to Contreras.
11:04Votori, Mezcano.
11:11Boros holds off Quinonez.
11:16Inadvertently nutmegs the next defender, but runs into the challenge.
11:18Now Barcelona can break, Vigialba.
11:21Vigialba between two red shirts, uses Benedetto, looks for the return.
11:25He's brought down, looking for that return pass.
11:29And it's another yellow card, this time for Lozano.
11:33Had those opportunities to run.
11:36Gets away from one, away from two.
11:38Plays a nice little one, took a nice touch from Benedetto as well.
11:43And then it's just a little, almost hip check from Lozano.
11:57Gets it over the top, one for Nunez to chase.
11:59Nunez gets there and he's clipped.
12:02When he makes that run in behind Alvarez,
12:04and this is a decision for the referee,
12:06the red card is immediately drawn.
12:10And Francisco Alvarez is off.
12:22Well, Nunez got the wrong side of the centre-back.
12:28Made the run across the path of the centre-back,
12:32knowing as much as anything the contact would likely be there.
12:36And then the tangle of legs goes down.
12:41Is there a little arm on the shoulder as well?
12:45Not really enough.
12:47Well, the arm isn't enough to bring Nunez down,
12:49but is there enough contact?
12:51Certainly nothing conclusive enough to suggest there's no contact.
13:00Nunez knows what he's doing.
13:02Knows exactly where he's running, where Alvarez is,
13:05where that contact's coming and when he's going to be going down.
13:08All of that is almost planned as far as Nunez is concerned,
13:11but it doesn't get away.
13:22Well, it's a free kick and a dangerous one at that.
13:26Into the wall.
13:29Headed away.
13:31How does that change the game now?
13:32Argentinos juniors for 66 minutes.
13:36Looked very comfortable.
13:39Even if that, not much of a threat themselves.
13:43Surely now, Barcelona are invited forward.
13:45They go for goal.
13:46And it's a save by Cortes.
13:50Down low to his right.
13:55It's a good effort from just outside the area on the turn.
13:59It's from the centre-back.
14:01Javier Bison stayed forward.
14:10Well, Fernandes is caught.
14:12Not happy with the challenge he's been received.
14:18It's a whack on the shin from Javier Rice.
14:25Perhaps a little fortunate to avoid the yellow cards.
14:28Well, he has actually been booked, so...
14:29I don't think there's much more that can be...
14:34Last home have won their last four home games in knockout ties in the Limitadores.
14:42None of those have even conceded a goal.
14:45They are on track to do so again this evening, but they will need to score if they're going to
14:52keep that winning record going.
15:11It's a good looking ball to the back post.
15:20He's headed back across goal.
15:21Chance blazed over the top of the crossbar by Tomas Martinez.
15:27Would have longed for that kind of opportunity in that kind of space inside the box.
15:32Had to wait until the final ten minutes with Argentinos juniors down to ten men,
15:36but now Barcelona are looking to make the most of home advantage.
15:40Find themselves something to take to Buenos Aires in a week's time.
15:51This time it's a deep one.
15:54Headed away by Porcel.
15:58Didn't play on the far side by JoĂŁo Rojas.
16:02Rojas opts not to cross.
16:04Instead goes back with Celis, who will instead deliver it.
16:07Headed back across goal.
16:08Chance nodded forward.
16:10And into the hands of Cortes.
16:13Problems when he's stayed forward.
16:15And he does just that here for the second ball and for the knockdown.
16:19Sent in his way by Sergio Nunez.
16:21No pace on the ball.
16:24And Baez leaping in the air to Argentinos juniors.
16:27It's not enough red shirts really in the break, but there's a great chance if they can find the pass
16:31here.
16:32Suddenly it's opened up.
16:33It's a little slow.
16:34Porcel goes for goal.
16:35Hits the crossbar.
16:38A minute from time and the ten men near 25 yards.
16:42But just look how it opens up here from Celis' backheel.
16:46Two against one.
16:48And if this pass is a bit more on it so Porcel doesn't have to wait and wait and wait
16:51for the ball to come.
16:53Then he can take that inside the 18-yard box.
16:56Instead he has to go for goal from distance.
16:58And still is only a couple of inches away from giving Argentinos juniors the lead.
17:31It's a super strike from Diego Porcel.
17:3512-year-olds with the goal that really didn't look like it was coming.
17:43And what a finish.
17:45Onside, pushed wide by the pass.
17:48But nothing on other than to go for goal.
17:50And he just hammers it right across the face.
17:53There's only one way that he can really beat Jose Contreras.
17:58And it's with that kind of accuracy in off the far post.
18:08That is a top-notch strike from Diego Porcel.
18:13And it has given Argentinos juniors the most in...
18:36Long punt downfield.
18:38Argentinos juniors now just waits for the full-time whistle.
18:46They have to defend the next 20 seconds or so first, however.
18:50Porales.
18:51Back to Garcia.
18:54He wanted a free kick and is told to get to his feet.
18:57Another chance to break for Argentinos juniors.
19:00This time without quite so much intense.
19:05Fattori.
19:06Brilliant again from Fattori.
19:13Making those yellow shirts run after it.
19:15And finally, that full-time whistle goes.
19:17It's a tremendous result for Argentinos juniors.
19:23Diego Porcel's injury-time winner.
19:27Gives the Argentines a first-leg win.
19:30And a first-leg lead to take back to La Patina.
19:36And the game is over.
19:39Argentinos juniors made...
19:42Made the impossible.
19:44They looked that maybe it was going to be tougher for them playing away from home.
19:50But they did it.
19:52And now everything will be decided next Wednesday, February 25th.
19:59Argentinos juniors against Barcelona de Guayaquil in Argentina.
20:03Thank you for joining us.
20:04Victory for the team from Argentina.
20:06We'll see you then.
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