QUITO, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Bryan Ramirez and Michael Estrada scored either side of halftime as LDU Quito secured a 2-0 home win over Sao Paulo in the first leg of their Copa Libertadores quarterfinal on Thursday.
The Ecuadorian side went ahead in the 15th minute when Ramirez latched onto Gian Franco Allala's floating 30-yard pass with a volley that beat Rafael at his near post.
Estrada made it 2-0 by capitalizing on lax defending and sending a powerful drive into the far corner.
Sao Paulo controlled most of the possession and had more shots on goal but was unable to find a way past goalkeeper Gonzalo Valle.
"It was an evenly balanced game but we changed some little things that made all the difference," LDU manager Tiago Nunes told a post-match news conference.
"We know that the second leg in Brazil is going to be very difficult because they are a different team in front of their own fans. But we have a very competitive squad and we're confident about our chances."
The second leg will be played at Sao Paulo's Morumbi stadium next Thursday. ■
微信扫描下方的二维码阅读本文
