Peruvian club Cienciano defeated Brazilian side Botafogo 6-1 at the Estadio Inca Garcilaso de la Vega in Cusco on Thursday night in the first leg of their Copa Sudamericana round of 16 tie.
Matías Succar scored a hat-trick while Neri Bandiera scored twice and Marcos Martinich added another to build a four-goal lead in the first half for the hosts, known locally as El Papá.
The home team established early dominance at their home stadium in Cusco. Alejandro Hohberg forced a save from Botafogo goalkeeper Warleson in the fourth minute following a set-piece routine.
Neri Bandiera missed an opportunity in the 16th minute when his shot went wide after receiving a long pass. Two minutes later, Matías Succar opened the scoring by heading home a cross from Alejandro Hohberg in the 18th minute to give Cienciano a 1-0 lead.
Cienciano doubled their advantage in the 20th minute through Neri Bandiera following a team attack. The goal was confirmed in the 26th minute after a video assistant referee review.
Matías Succar made it 3-0 in the 30th minute when he capitalized on an error by goalkeeper Warleson, who left the ball loose inside the area. Marcos Martinich added a fourth goal in the 35th minute with a strike from distance.
Botafogo made a double substitution in the 37th minute, replacing Álvaro Montoro and Kadir Barria with Kauan Toledo and Arthur Cabral. Kevin Becerra sent a long-range shot off target for Cienciano in the 42nd minute. During eight minutes of first-half stoppage time, Alejandro Hohberg shot narrowly past Warleson's left post.
Second-half action and match details
Cienciano substituted Juan Romagnoli for Ademar Robles at the start of the second half. Robles received a yellow card in the 46th minute, shortly after entering the match.
Botafogo pulled a goal back in the 49th minute when Matheus Martins scored from a free-kick to make the score 4-1. Neri Bandiera went down in the Botafogo penalty area in the 51st minute, but the referee ruled there was no foul.
Neri Bandiera forced a save from Warleson in the 56th minute with an effort from outside the box. Botafogo substituted Marcal for Alex Telles in the 57th minute, after which Arthur Cabral sent a shot close to Ítalo Espinoza's left post in the 58th minute.
Cienciano scored their fifth goal in the 62nd minute when Neri Bandiera finished a pass from Alejandro Hohberg. Botafogo responded in the 64th minute by replacing Cristian Medina and Danilo Santos with Santiago Rodríguez and Edenilson.
Alejandro Hohberg shot wide from distance in the 65th minute, and Cienciano brought on Henry Caparo for Neri Bandiera in the 70th minute. Caparo attempted a long-range shot in the 76th minute that went wide.
Matías Succar completed his hat-trick in the 78th minute, connecting with a right-wing cross from Cristian Souza to put Cienciano 6-1 ahead. Botafogo defender Gabriel Justino was booked in the 86th minute before Cienciano substituted Gerson Barreto for Gonzalo Aguirre in the 87th minute.
Three minutes of stoppage time were added at the end of the match, during which Cienciano replaced Cristian Souza with Ray Sandoval in the 90th minute. Edenilson had a goal disallowed for offside in the 91st minute, leaving the final score 6-1.
Teams, squad availability and match officials
Cienciano started with Ítalo Espinoza in goal behind Claudio Núñez, Kevin Becerra, Maximiliano Amondaraín, and Marcos Martinich in defense. Gerson Barreto and Juan Romagnoli played in midfield behind Cristian Souza, Alejandro Hohberg, Neri Bandiera, and Matías Succar.
Botafogo selected Warleson in goal, supported by Mateo Ponte, Nahuel Ferraresi, Gabriel Justino, and Marcal in defense. Huguinho and Cristian Medina started in central midfield behind Danilo Santos, Álvaro Montoro, Matheus Martins, and Kadir Barria.
Cienciano were without key forwards Carlos Garcés and Santiago Arias due to suspension after both players accumulated yellow cards in previous matches. Matías Succar started in place of Garcés.
The match was officiated by an Ecuadorian refereeing team led by main referee Augusto Aragón, with assistants Christian Lescano and Mauricio Lozada. Oswaldo Contreras acted as fourth official, while Franklin Congo and Kevin Pazmiño managed the VAR system.
Tournament background and recent form
The Copa Sudamericana is South America's annual secondary club competition organized by CONMEBOL. Cienciano reached the round of 16 after eliminating Argentine team Lanús in the playoffs, reversing a 2-0 first-leg loss with a 4-0 home victory in Cusco.
Botafogo entered the knockout stage undefeated after recording five wins and one draw in the group phase. Prior to Thursday, Botafogo held an undefeated record against Peruvian clubs in international competition, with four victories and four draws across eight historical matches.
Cienciano maintained a positive home record against Brazilian opposition in Cusco, recording one victory and two draws in previous meetings. Their recent form included a 2-0 win over Universitario, a 4-0 victory against Lanús, and a 1-0 defeat to Alianza Atlético.
Prior to the match, authorities reported that 86 kilograms of marijuana were found on the bus scheduled to transport the Brazilian team before their Copa Sudamericana tie.
Match preparations and broadcast details
Botafogo arrived in Peru via Lima before traveling to Cusco on Thursday. Cienciano issued guidance to supporters ahead of the match, prohibiting brand displays, advertising banners, and flares inside the venue.
The match took place at the Estadio Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, a venue with a capacity of 42,000 spectators, where stadium gates opened at 4:30 p.m. local time. Pre-match betting odds listed Cienciano as narrow favorites, with home win odds ranging between 2.32 and 2.56 across major betting platforms.
The match was broadcast live across South America on ESPN and Disney+ Premium, with Paramount+ transmitting the fixture in Brazil. The second leg of the round of 16 tie will be played in Brazil. The winner of the tie will advance to the quarter-finals to face either Argentine club Tigre or Uruguayan side Montevideo City Torque.
