November 24 – Argentina’s Lanus have won the Copa Sudamericana for a second time after defeating Brazil’s Atletico Mineiro 5-4 on penalties following a goalless draw in the final on Saturday.
Lanus goalkeeper Nahuel Losada proved to be the hero, saving three spot kicks in the shootout from Hulk, Biel and Vitor Hugo after the clubs had failed to score in 120 minutes. The Brazilians dominated possession but failed to convert their chances. Lanus sat back, absorbed the pressure but offered little themselves going forward.
In the group stages, Lanus topped their quartet with 12 points ahead of Vasco da Gama, Melgar, and Puerto Cabello. The club eliminated Central Cordoba, Fluminense and Universidad de Chile in the knockout stages. Lanus first won the Copa Sudamericana, the second-tier club competition in South America, in 2013.
For Atletico Mineiro, it was a second consecutive defeat in a continental club final. Last year, they lost the Copa Libertadores final against Botafogo.
“I think that in the final, being so superior, we couldn’t win, and that’s bitter and painful,” said Atletico Mineiro manager Jorge Sampaoli. “Basically, for all the fans who came to support the team and who deserved a different result.”
“We ended up going to penalties, where we made many mistakes, and they took advantage.”
Sampaoli added that he wants to stay at the Belo Horizonte club and build for the long term.
With the win, Lanus have qualified for the 2026 Copa Libertadores and will play the Recopa Sudamericana. On Saturday, the South American club season will culminate with the all-Brazilian Copa Libertadores final between Flamengo and Palmeiras in Peru.
Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]