Botafogo secured a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Carabobo in the second round of the Copa Libertadores group stage. The defending champions needed two late goals from substitutes Patrick de Paula and Matheus Martins to claim all three points at the Nilton Santos Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

Coming into the match after losing their opener against Universidad de Chile, the Brazilian side dominated possession but struggled to break through Carabobo’s disciplined defense. Meanwhile, the Venezuelan team put up a strong resistance and was close to snatching a valuable draw until the final minutes.

Carabobo’s Resistance and Botafogo’s Late Breakthrough

From the start, Botafogo dictated the tempo and controlled possession, creating multiple chances in the opponent’s box. However, poor finishing and Carabobo’s solid defensive organization kept the scoreline level for most of the match.

The Venezuelan side, led by Diego Merino, relied on counterattacks and had a few promising opportunities. Their best chance came early in the match when Berríos found himself one-on-one with goalkeeper John, but failed to convert.

The game was briefly halted following a head collision between Gonzalo Mastriani and Ezequiel Neira, which left the Venezuelan defender on the ground and forced his team into an early substitution.

Just as it seemed like Carabobo would leave Brazil with a draw, Patrick de Paula broke the deadlock with a well-placed free kick in the 88th minute. With the lead secured and the opposition visibly fatigued, Botafogo sealed the win in stoppage time through Matheus Martins, who capitalized on a pass from Jefferson Savarino inside the box.

With this result, Botafogo earns its first three points in Group A, keeping its hopes of qualification alive, while Carabobo remains winless in its first-ever Copa Libertadores group stage campaign.