Colombia’s Atletico Nacional shrugged off their poor league form and progressed to the knockout stage of the Copa Libertadores after a 3-0 home win against Uruguay’s Peñarol Tuesday night.
The Medellin team went to the top of their group and progressed to the second round with one game left to play.
Playing in front of their home fans, Nacional got off to a dream start with an 8th minute goal from Oscar Murillo.
Dorlan Pabon curled a freekick into the box which was headed back across goal and finally tapped in by Murillo.
Colombian international Pabon extended the lead of the green and whites with a wonder goal before the end of the first half. The striker fired a curling free-kick into the top corner from 50 yards, his sixth of the competition. The attacker celebrated in subdued fashion, but the goal puts him top of the Libertadores scoring charts, two ahead of Brazilian stars Leandro Damiao and Neymar.
Veteran forward Diego Alvarez made victory a formality when he put in Nacional’s third in the 60th minute.
Their final group game on April 19 will decide if they or their opponents Universidad de Chile, who sit one point behind, finish top of the group.
