In a thrilling match played at 3,600 meters of altitude in La Paz, Bolívar secured a 2-2 draw against Atlético Mineiro in the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana quarterfinals. The result felt like relief for La Academia, who came back from two goals down to level the score late on, while for the Brazilians it left the bitter taste of letting slip what seemed like a certain victory.

Atlético Mineiro strikes at the end of the first half

The visitors, coached by Jorge Sampaoli, did not dominate possession but took advantage of the spaces and relied on counterattacks. Their two goals came in a lethal end to the first half. First, Alexsander opened the scoring in the 45th minute after a play started by Rony and continued by Gustavo Scarpa. Just six minutes later, Vítor Hugo doubled the lead with a header off a Scarpa free kick, silencing the home crowd at the Hernando Siles.

Up until then, Bolívar had controlled the ball and even created clear chances through Martín Cauteruccio, but goalkeeper Everson stood tall. Flavio Robatto’s side went into the break knowing they needed a second-half reaction.

Celeste comeback with plenty of drama

The fightback started early in the second half. In the 48th minute, a cross from Tonino Melgar found Robson Matheus, who scored to restore hope for the hosts. But the night wouldn’t be easy. In the 55th minute, Peruvian referee Kevin Ortega sent off defender Ignacio Gariglio after a VAR review, leaving Bolívar down to ten men.

La Academia had a chance to equalize from the spot in the 69th minute, but Cauteruccio smashed his penalty against the crossbar after a handball by Lyanco. When all seemed lost, another opportunity came in the 88th minute: the referee awarded a second penalty, this time for a handball by Igor Gomes, and Dominican forward Dorny Romero made no mistake, slotting home the 2-2 equalizer.

An open series heading to Belo Horizonte

The draw left mixed feelings. For Atlético Mineiro, who looked to have victory in their grasp, it was a psychological blow. For Bolívar, it was a lifeline snatched with grit in the final minutes, despite playing with ten men.

The second leg will be played on September 24 in Belo Horizonte, where the Brazilians will have the home advantage, but La Academia travel with renewed confidence after rescuing a point in such adverse circumstances. The tie remains wide open and promises a thrilling finish with a semifinal spot on the line.