Racing Club pulled off a dramatic 1–0 win over Fortaleza this Thursday at the ‘Cilindro de Avellaneda’ in the final matchday of Group E in the Copa Libertadores. The decisive goal came in the 93rd minute from Adrián "Maravilla" Martínez, who scored in all six group stage matches. With this result, La Academia finished top of the group with 13 points, while the Brazilian side also advanced to the round of 16, helped by Atlético Bucaramanga’s 1–0 loss to Colo Colo.

Tight first half

The reigning champions of the Copa Sudamericana and the Recopa Sudamericana looked sharp during the first half-hour, driven by Martínez’s energy and Gastón Martinera’s runs down the wing. Fortaleza, on the other hand, sat back and looked to counter, but they failed to trouble Gabriel Arias, who had a quiet night compared to João Ricardo. As time went on, the visitors started to settle and balance things out thanks to a solid showing from their midfield, especially Pedro Augusto, who dictated the tempo and pulled the strings in the middle.

Storybook ending in Avellaneda

In the second half, Racing lacked sharpness up front despite the efforts of Martínez and his strike partner Maximiliano Salas. A draw seemed inevitable after Martinera hit the crossbar and Fortaleza had their one big chance — a mix-up where Deyverson accidentally set up Lucca Prior, but his shot missed the target.

But then, with the last play of the match, a hopeful cross into the box found "Maravilla" Martínez, who pounced on a loose ball and pulled off an unorthodox overhead kick that beat João Ricardo, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.

Racing Club finished the group stage with 14 goals scored and just three conceded, making them the third-best group winner, only behind Brazilian giants Palmeiras and São Paulo. Meanwhile, Fortaleza go through despite the loss, Atlético Bucaramanga drop into the Copa Sudamericana playoff round, and Colo Colo are out of the competition.