Estudiantes won their first game in the 2018 Copa Libertadores and there were no doubts about it. They won 3-0 against Real Garcilaso, a result that could have been even more lopsided and that they had to secure before the end. They shouldn't have waited until the 30th minute of the second half to seal the deal.
The team managed by Lucas Bernardi played better than their opponent, who clearly didn't come to La Plata with a defensive strategy as they don't seem to know how to do it. Last night, Estudiantes could have conceded more goals due to their own lack of accuracy and some bad luck.
Furthermore, the result showed that Estudiantes is unstoppable at home. They are the second Argentine team with the most victories in that condition since 2000 (they have won 174 matches, less than Boca but more than San Lorenzo) and they have the best performance in Copa Libertadores, having won 47 matches and drawn eight out of 60 appearances. Last night, they showed the team from Cuzco who truly rules the results.
It's difficult to explain how Estudiantes didn't take the lead during the first half, considering they had around five clear goal opportunities. But very, very clear chances that, due to their own lack of skill and a bit of bad luck, didn't end up in a goal.
Just at the beginning, Gastón Campi and then Jonatan Schunke had two chances inside the box after a corner kick, but the goalkeeper Morales managed to save both shots and prevented their opponent from scoring.
At minute 24, Gastón Giménez, who had a weak period, found himself with the ball at the doorstep of the box, with no goalkeeper and a couple of defenders in front of him. He shot... too high. A good opportunity that didn't have a happy ending.
And at minute 38, Lucas Rodríguez, after a good cross from Facundo Sánchez, hit the ball first-time on the volley. The ball hit the right post of Morales' goal and went through the entire goal line, but due to the spin, it went out on the other side. Even a wizard couldn't have performed such mischief.
But the protagonist of that first half was Lucas Melano, a forward who struggles to score goals. At minute 12, he stumbled upon the ball and couldn't finish, and at minute 45, he missed a one-on-one chance after a great pass from Juan Otero. It's not the first time he wasted such opportunities, and that's why the fans let him know their displeasure.
In the second half, the game continued in the same fashion, but it had an external factor that ended up helping the home team: the storm. After 30 seconds, Otero missed a chance right in front of the goal, and three minutes later, a strong downpour made Venezuelan referee Alexis Herrera stop the game. The 22 players went to the substitutes' bench. But there was one protagonist who realized that there was no reason to suspend the game: Dr. Hugo Montenegro. It was him who started the protest. Later, Mariano Andújar and Leandro Desábato joined him. So, the game resumed, and in the first cross into the box, Lucas Melano scored, finding himself alone and unmarked at the far post. After so many misses, under a heavy downpour and with the support of the fans, he managed to break his opponent's defense.
The goal almost defined the game, but Estudiantes had to wait until the 30th minute to seal the deal. They did it first with a penalty scored by Mariano Pavone, and then the Tank himself scored the third goal at minute 40, his second of the game, to make the score reflect what had happened on the field.
The score was three, but it could have been more if Pavone had hit the ball better inside the box, or if Morales (and the post) hadn't denied Juan Otero a goal. Otero was one of Estudiantes' best players, and he was left wanting to take the penalty kick.
Estudiantes won, and there's no one in the world who can deny it. But it's also true that they had a hard time breaking through a limited opponent who didn't even make an effort to prevent the goal. Bernardi has many positive things in his team, but he will have to find a solution for their offensive anemia. Yes, anemia, even though the team won 3-0.
Estudiantes won and earned three crucial points to be at the top of the group and to dream, as their history indicates, of reaching the round of 16 in a tournament that features the best teams in the continent.