Lanus 4 River Plate 2 (4-3 agg): Silva penalty seals incredible comeback
Lanus reached the Copa Libertadores final after a staggering victory over River Plate in their semi-final.
Lanus completed an incredible comeback to reach their first Copa Libertadores final, overcoming River Plate 4-3 on aggregate on Tuesday.
Jorge Almiron's side looked set for a semi-final loss after River took a 2-0 lead at the Estadio Ciudad de Lanus, giving them a 3-0 advantage on aggregate.
However, the hosts rallied and claimed an amazing 4-2 win on the night, Alejandro Silva scoring the decisive goal from the penalty spot in the 69th minute.
Already trailing 1-0 from the first leg, Lanus' chances appeared slim as they fell 2-0 behind on the night inside 25 minutes.
Ignacio Scocco struck for River with a penalty before Gonzalo Montiel headed in from close-range.
But Jose Sand provided Lanus with the glimmer of hope they needed either side of half-time.
Sand beat German Lux at his near post just prior to the break and put away a second in the 46th minute after a tight offside call.
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Lanus capitalised on their momentum and were ahead on aggregate with more than 20 minutes remaining.
Lautaro Acosta tapped in a Silva cross from the right to give Lanus a 3-2 lead in the second leg.
The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) was needed to award Lanus their decisive penalty, which Silva stepped up to convert to complete the stunning comeback before Ignacio Fernandez saw red late on for River.