By Melody Gross 
The second half of the match saw Artur Jorge's Botafogo side suffer a historic 5-0 defeat at home to Peñarol on Wednesday, leaving the Brazilians a foot and a half ahead in their first Copa Libertadores final.
After a first half in which they did not succeed in overcoming the Uruguayan defense, the Brazilian league leaders faltered in the second 45 minutes of the semi-final first leg, as they scored five goals, all thanks to the intervention of Jefferson Savarino. .
The Venezuelan (51 and 59 minutes), Argentine Alexandre Barboza (55), Luiz Henrique (73), who also gave a great performance and was named best player of the match, and Igor Jesus (79) scored the team's goals. From Rio de Janeiro.
In this way, reaching a fourth 100% Brazilian final in the past five years seems almost certain, because in the other match in the first leg of the semi-final, Atletico Mineiro received and beat Argentina's River Plate 3-0.
In Ingenhão, the first half was very closed, and some emotional movements only appeared towards the end, through two shots from outside the penalty area by Luis Henrique (two goals) and Marlon Freitas.
After the break, everything was different, as Botafogo advanced strongly and took the lead in the 51st minute, through Savarino, after a pass behind the defense of Luiz Henrique.
Just four minutes later, Savarino scored a corner kick from the right, Igor Jesus headed the ball to the far post, and in the center of the area, defender Alexandre Barboza shot with his left foot.
Peñarol lost, and four minutes later Savarino scored two goals, at the end of excellent team play, through Luiz Henrique and set up by Vitinho.
With this great superiority, coach Artur Georgi’s team slowed down, but was able to achieve victory, as Luiz Henrique scored the fourth goal, in the 73rd minute, with a fine “hat” for Aguirre, after intervention by Savarino and Igor Jesus.
The count ended in the 79th minute, as Igor Jesus sent a wonderful header to the Uruguayan goalkeeper, who parried Savarino's shot.
The game “went on” until the end, with Botafogo practically celebrating its first final, and Peñarol a long way from 11th place, first since 2011, and sixth place. The return match will be held next Wednesday in Montevideo.
On Tuesday, the Brazilians from Atletico Mineiro defeated their Argentine guest, River Plate, 3-0 at home, thanks to two goals scored by Deverson, the former Benfica player in B and B, in the 22nd and 71st minutes, and also an assist for Paulinho. In the 74th minute.
Therefore, the Brazilian national team will have a strong advantage heading into the return match scheduled for next Tuesday at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, which will also be the scene of the competition's final on November 30.
The Canary Islands teams won the last five editions of the Copa Libertadores, via Flamengo in 2019, led by Jorge Jesus, and 2022, Palmeiras, under the leadership of Abel Ferreira in 2020 and 2021, and Fluminense in 2023.
Before these five victories, River Plate won in 2018, after a controversial final with Boca Juniors, in the return match at the Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid's home.