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Melgar suffered a tough defeat last Wednesday, after losing 3-0 to Independiente del Valle, in the first leg of the 2022 Copa Sudamericana semifinals. The red and black team was not accurate in their finishes, a point they will have to correct, as only with a big win they will have the opportunity to be in the final of the continental tournament.
With the three goals against, the Pablo Lavallen's team must go for the miracle in Arequipa. What does this mean? For the second leg match, the final score that 'Dominó' must have is 3-0 or with more goals in favor, without receiving any against. The objective is for the final score (adding up the 180 minutes played) to be 3-3 or 4-3, in favor of Melgar.
If it ends up 3-3, after playing both matches (there will be no extra time), both teams will have to go to a penalty shootout, just like it happened in the tie against Internacional de Porto Alegre in Brazil. Here, although they have the experience of coming out on top thanks to Carlos Cáceda's performances, it does not guarantee that the result will be favorable, because as the situation is, it is a roulette situation.
The other scenario is to win with a general score of 4-3 or more goals, a fact that would mark a before and after for the team, considering it a comeback. For this, they must guard their own goal, preventing Independiente from attacking from any front, as if they score a goal, the red and black team will be forced to increase the number of goals in order to qualify.
Coach's Word
On the other hand, Pablo Lavallen analyzed the match in the city of Quito, making it clear that there are aspects to correct in order to achieve a favorable result in Arequipa. "We knew that Independiente was a strong team and we couldn't let them have spaces. We failed to score. We have a tough challenge to close in Arequipa," he said. Despite the mistakes, the Argentine strategist knows that they have the tools to turn the result around.
In this regard, he affirmed that "nothing is impossible in football. We will try to come back in the second leg. I have confidence in my team. We will always go forward". "It is not impossible to overcome this score. We will keep training and the goal will open at some point. Improving precision will be vital. The key will be to score before them in the second leg," he said in a press conference.
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