Colo Colo secured an important 2-1 victory against Junior de Barranquilla in the second leg of the Copa Libertadores Round of 16, ensuring their place in the quarterfinals after six years. With this victory, the Chilean team won the series with a 3-1 aggregate score and now awaits the winner between Talleres and River Plate to find out their next opponent.

Lucas Cepeda Scores the Best Goal of the Copa Libertadores

The match began with Junior pushing to level the series from the first minute. The first clear opportunity came early when Carlos Bacca, after a mistake in the clearance by Carlos Palacios, nearly scored, but his shot narrowly missed the right post. However, Colo Colo responded with high pressure and, although their initial attempts were not precise, they managed to unsettle the Colombian team.

Colo Colo opened the scoring in the 43rd minute thanks to a goal from Lucas Cepeda, who capitalized on an error by Uruguayan goalkeeper Santiago Mele to fire a powerful left-footed shot into the top corner. Junior quickly responded and equalized just before halftime with a goal from Carlos Bacca, following a brilliant team move.

In the second half, Junior came out strong, seeking a comeback and creating several chances, but they struggled to finish. Colo Colo, on the other hand, remained calm and took advantage of a corner kick in the 75th minute to score the decisive 2-1 goal, with Maximiliano Falcón finding the net after a rebound off the crossbar.

The match ended with Rafael Pérez being sent off in the 81st minute, leaving Junior with ten players and no real chance to equalize. Colo Colo claimed a well-deserved victory and advanced to the quarterfinals, eliminating Junior from the tournament.