Botafogo edge past underdogs to progress in the Liberta

Rio de Janeiro – Botafogo survived a nervy night at Estádio Nilton Santos to reach the third qualifying round of the Conmebol Libertadores, edging Nacional Potosí 2-0 on Wednesday and reversing a 1-0 deficit from the first leg.

The Glorioso came out breathing fire. Inside 60 seconds Vitinho cracked a low drive against the Bolivian side’s upright, and before the clock reached five minutes Danilo’s raking pass released Alex Telles on the left. The full-back tore into the box and lifted a delicate chip over the goalkeeper to spark early delirium among the home support.

Vitinho struck the woodwork again as Botafogo hunted a second, yet the cushion did not arrive until the final action of stoppage time. A floated free kick found Barboza, whose header caused chaos; the defence failed to clear and Danilo pounced from close range to settle the tie.

Nacional Potosí emerged after the interval determined to reduce the arrears and were denied only by the frame of the goal themselves, rattling Botafogo’s post in a moment that reminded the crowd how slender the margin remained until the final whistle.

The 2-0 victory books a two-legged duel with Ecuador’s Barcelona de Guayaquil on 4 and 11 March, the last hurdle before the coveted group stage. Meanwhile, Botafogo continue to juggle competitions, fielding an almost under-20 squad in the ongoing Copa Rio.