Botafogo crash out of the Copa Libertadores in the altitude of Quito

   Defending champions Botafogo crashed out of the Copa Libertadores following a 2-0 second-leg defeat against LDU Quito in the round of 16. 

The Brazilians took a 1-0 advantage from the first leg to the altitude of the Ecuadorian capital but they conceded after six minutes to a goal by Villamil.

Botafogo were often sloppy and, as in the first leg, failed to escape the tight marking from the hosts. LDU dominated and scored a second through Alzugaray, from the penalty spot, after a play originated from an offside corner. LDU had a player sent off, but Botafogo couldn’t muster a late rally.

Last year, the Rio club won South America’s premier club competition for the first time, but there will be no repeat this season under the management of Davide Ancelotti, the son of Carlo Ancelotti, who is managing Brazil’s national team, the first foreigner to do so.

Ancelotti junior picked a three-man defence to deal with the altitude, but the tactic backfired.

“Today’s strategy was to adapt a bit. We played with a lower defensive line to take away their depth and defend crosses. They cross a lot, so three defensive midfielders were needed to block shots. It’s not the way Botafogo wants to play, but we had to adapt. But it was the game plan. And it’s difficult to stick to the plan after conceding a goal in the sixth minute,” said Ancelotti.

“Altitude plays a role because the ball travels a lot and is faster. It’s difficult to control when there’s a long pass. LDU is very strong, so we clearly had to adapt to have energy in the final minutes.”