Agency :
Botafogo survived a late scare to draw 2-2 at Palmeiras and earn a place in the Copa Libertadores quarter-finals on Wednesday.
Having secured a 2-1 victory in the first leg, Botafogo appeared to take an unassailable lead when Igor Jesus and Jefferson Savarino scored early in the second half of the return fixture at Allianz Parque.
But Jose Lopez reduced the deficit with an 86th-minute strike before Rony netted in the 90th minute to ensure a tense finale to the all-Brazilian round of 16 tie.
Despite having 17 fewer shots on goal than their rivals, Botafogo held on to secure a berth in the competition’s last eight for the first time since 2017.
“We had a very high-quality opponent and in both games we were superior,” Botafogo Manager Arthur Jorge said. “We played a very good first half, very solid.
In the second half, we were effective in what we created and had the opportunity to score more goals.
And in those last five crazy minutes, we missed our chance to win both games, which is what we wanted.”
In other round of 16 second-leg fixtures on Wednesday, Penarol advanced 4-1 on aggregate despite a 1-0 loss at The Strongest and River Plate progressed 3-1 overall after a 2-1 home draw with Talleres Cordoba.