Highlights: 2011 Copa Libertadores, Group 7

  Reports & highlights of Group 7 in the 2011 Copa Libertadores.

Results

15-02-11
Deportes Tolima (Col)	1-0	Guaraní (Par)
16-02-11
Cruzeiro (Bra)	5-0	Estudiantes (Arg)
22-02-11
Cruzeiro (Bra)	4-0	Guaraní (Par)
23-02-11
Estudiantes (Arg)	1-0	Deportes Tolima (Col)
02-03-11
Deportes Tolima (Col)	0-0	Cruzeiro (Bra)
09-03-11
Guaraní (Par)	1-2	Estudiantes (Arg)
16-03-11
Cruzeiro (Bra)	6-1	Deportes Tolima (Col)
17-03-11
Estudiantes (Arg)	5-1	Guaraní (Par)
30-03-11
Deportes Tolima (Col)	1-1	Estudiantes (Arg)
31-03-11
Guaraní (Par)	0-2	Cruzeiro (Bra)
13-04-11
Guaraní (Par)	0-2	Deportes Tolima (Col)
Estudiantes (Arg)	0-3	Cruzeiro (Bra)

Table

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Cruzeiro	6	5	1	0	20	1	+19	16
Estudiantes	6	3	1	2	9	11	−2	10
Deportes Tolima	6	2	2	2	5	8	−3	8
Guaraní	6	0	0	6	2	16	−14	0

Match reports

Round 1

The biggest shock result in the first round of games was Cruzeiro's 5-0 annihilation of Argentine champions Estudiantes which was orchestrated by Argentine midfielder Walter Montillo who bagged himself two goals. In the other game Deportes Tolima got off to a winning start with a 1-0 win against Guaraní.

Round 2

Cruzeiro continued their brilliant start to the campaign with a 4-0 demolition of Guaraní featuring another couple of goals from Wallyson to make it four in two games for the 22 year old striker, a goal for Cruzeiro's other Argentine Ernesto Farías and a cracking long range effort from Thiago Ribeiro to finish the game off.

Estudiantes recovered from their opening day mauling to record a 1-0 win against Deportes Tolima. A Pablo Barrientos free kick was enough to secure the three points in front of their own fans.

Round 3

Cruzeiro dropped their first points of the campaign in their first away game, drawing 0-0 with Deportes Tolima in Colombia. The game was not as boring as the scoreline suggests and the draw could be a reasonable result for both sides. Estudiantes closed the gap on Cruzeiro to a single point after a hard fought 1-2 away win against Guaraní. The visitors had to come back from a goal down at half time, the scorers were Pablo Barrientos and Leandro González.

Round 4

Cruzeiro continued to look like the strongest team in the tournament with a 6-1 demolition of the Deportes Tolima side that held them to a goalless draw two weeks ago. Walter Montillo had another cracking game and scored the opening goal, Roger scored twice, Wallyson climbed to the top of the goalscorers chart with his fourth of the campaign. Gilberto and Thiago Ribeiro rounded off a brilliant evening with a goal each in the last few minutes. The only slight negative is that they conceded their first goal of the tournament, but with fifteen of their own in their first four games they will not be overly concerned.

Estudiantes edged closer to qualification with a thumping 5-1 win against group whipping boys Guaraní. They were three goals up within the first 25 minutes, Rodrigo López headed the first two goals, the second a really clever header from a huge Juan Sebastián Verón pass, the third was another header from Leandro González. Facundo Roncaglia got himself sent off for lashing out with an elbow early in the second half but this did not stop Estudiantes from attacking. Rodrigo López bagged his hat-trick on 59 minutes with yet another header. Guaraní pulled one back with a scruffy goal on 77 minutes but Estudiantes responded with another goal from González three minutes later to ensure that Estudiantes go into the fifth round of games with a positive goal difference. A fourth defeat in four games means that it is now impossible for Guaraní to progress to the knockout stages.

Round 5

Cruzeiro and Estudiantes both qualified for the knockout stages after Estudiantes managed a 1-1 draw against Deportes Tolima who were eliminated. A couple of hours later Cruzeiro won 2-0 against Guaraní to secure their position at the top of the group (barring an eight goal defeat in La Plata in their last game).

Round 6

With the qualifiers already determined before the sixth round kicked off there was little to play for but pride. Guaraní certainly didn't salvage any losing 0-2 at home to Deportes Tolima. The Paraguayans lost all six of their games shipping sixteen goals in the process.

Estudiantes had a chance to avenge their 5-0 mauling by Cruzeiro in the first round but were crushed 0-3 in front of their own fans. Surely not good preparation for the knockout phase. Cruzeiro scored twenty goals in their six group games and with sixteen points and a goal difference of plus 19 they will be the top seeds in the draw for the "octavos" (last sixteen).

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