Flamengo cruise past Barcelona to reach Libertadores final

GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador - Flamengo are just one win away from a second Copa Libertadores title in two years after defeating
Ecuador's Barcelona SC 2-0 on Wednesday to set-up an all-Brazilian final
against holders Palmeiras.

  Two goals from Bruno Henrique -- who also bagged a double in last week's
first leg win in Rio -- fired Flamengo into the final, the Brazilians
completing a 4-0 aggregate victory.

  It means that the November 27 final of South American club football's
showpiece tournament will be an all-Brazillian affair for a second straight
season after Palmeiras faced Santos in the 2020 tournament.

  Flamengo will be chasing a repeat of their triumph in the 2019 final when
the Brazilians defeated Argentina's River Plate in Lima.

  On the evidence of the semi-finals, Flamengo will fancy their chances of
lifting the Libertadores for the third time in the club's history.

  The Rio club produced another clinical performance at Barcelona SC's
Estadio Monumental in northern Ecuador.

  Flamengo effectively killed off the tie midway through the first half when
Henrique scored his first of the night.

  A perfectly weighted pass from Everton Ribeiro split Barcelona's defence
and Henrique, timing his run to perfection, latched onto the through ball,
rounded Javier Burrai and coolly stroked his finish into the empty net.

  That left Barcelona needing to score four goals to have a chance of
progressing, which always looked unlikely against a technically superior
Flamengo side.

  Mario Pineida squandered a golden chance to pull a goal back for Barcelona
on 20 minutes when he shot straight at Flamengo goalkeeper Diego Alves.

  At the other end, Flamengo almost doubled their lead when Andreas Pereira,
on loan from English giants Manchester United, lashed a long range shot
against the post.

     Another Barcelona chance went begging on 24 minutes when Luis Leon's free-
kick was saved by Alves, only for Leandro Martinez to lash the rebound over
the bar.

  Flamengo then sealed victory on 50 minutes, when a slick counter-attack saw
Ribeiro break forward and slide a pass to Henrique who once again delivered the finish for 2-0.BSS/AFP