Estudiantes bounce back from Lima humiliation
BUENOS AIRES - Estudiantes regained some self-esteem after last week's Libertadores Cup humiliation with a 2-0 win over Huracan in the Argentine Clausura championship on Monday.
The victory lifted the South American champions into joint-third place with Godoy Cruz and gave them a much-needed lift after a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Alianza Lima in the Group Three Libertadores match in Peru.
Both teams are now two points behind co-leaders Velez Sarsfield and Colon, who have 11 points, after five matches in the championship.
Striker Mauro Boselli put Estudiantes in front on the half hour-mark when he headed home Juan Sebastian Veron's corner for his seventh goal of the year in both competitions.
Boselli had earlier fluffed two chances as Estudiantes showed signs their confidence had been badly damaged in Lima and on the hour he blasted a penalty onto the bar.
However, three minutes later, Veron latched onto a poor clearance in the Huracan box and his shot was deflected into the net off central defender Eduardo Dominguez.
Huracan hit the woodwork twice, with midfielder Gaston Esmerado turning a low cross onto the near post in the seventh minute and playmaker Patricio Toranzo hitting the bar from outside the box near the end.
Esmerado was sent off in the 86th minute for a second booking and Estudiantes substitute Michael Hoyos followed for a dangerous tackle minutes later.
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Estudiantes' next Libertadores Cup match is away to Bolivia's Bolivar in La Paz on March 9.
Their next league match is away to Boca Juniors on Friday. Veron will miss the match due to suspension after his fifth yellow card and Boselli will also miss out as he is on loan to Estudiantes from Boca.
Former Argentina goalkeeper Roberto Abbondanzieri, who was dropped by Boca earlier this month, will make his debut for Brazil's Internacional at home to Emelec of Ecuador in Group Five of the Libertadores Cup on Tuesday.
Abbondanzieri, who won the trophy three times and the world club title twice with Boca between 2000 and 2003, joined 2006 South American champions Inter as a free agent at the end of last week.