Grêmio beats Huachipato and qualifies for the round of 16 of the Libertadores

Grêmio is qualified for the round of 16 of the Libertadores! The Immortal beat Huachipato 1-0 this Tuesday (4) in a late game of the fourth round of the Copa Libertadores to guarantee qualification. In Chile, Diego Costa scored the only goal of the match with a header.

With this result, Grêmio reached nine points, took second place in Group C and secured a place in the round of 16 of the competition. Despite still having a game to play against Estudiantes, Renato Gaucho’s team can no longer be reached within the group, neither by Huachipato, who has six games played and eight points, nor by Estudiantes itself, which is the bottom of the group with four points.

Grêmio is now looking for the leadership of the group. If they beat Estudiantes in the last delayed match of the group stage, the Immortal will reach 12 points, overtaking The Strongest, who lead the group with 10 points and have already played all six games. Huachipato, on the other hand, will now compete in the playoff of the Sudamericana, as it will finish the group stage of the Libertadores in third place in Group C.

If they advance in first place, Grêmio will face Peñarol in the round of 16, while if they pass in second place they will face Fluminense.

The Game

Grêmio dominated the start of the first half and managed to take the lead in the sixth minute, with Diego Costa opening the scoring with a header. The Immortal created clear chances to extend the lead and hit the crossbar three times in the first half.

In the second half, Huachipato went up, as they needed the result. The Chilean team started to create more and bring danger to the Grêmio goal. The protagonist of the second half was goalkeeper Marchesín. In the second minute, the Argentine saved a bomb from Montes. He then also saved shots from outside the box from Castillo and Vargas.

Despite Huachipato’s offensive, Grêmio managed to hold on to the result and secured the three points and the classification.

Upcoming games
Grêmio returns to the field for the Libertadores on Saturday (8), when it faces Estudiantes in a delayed match of the fifth round of the competition. The match will be played at Couto Pereira, as the Grêmio Arena is not yet able to host games.

Huachipato, on the other hand, will only play again on the 15th, when they face President Ibáñez for the Copa Chile.