Gremio’s decade-long wait to reach a fifth Copa Libertadores final is over despite a 1-0 home loss against Ecuador’s Barcelona in the semi-final second-leg on Wednesday.
A powerful strike from Jonathan Alvez just after the half-hour mark gave Barcelona the win in Porto Alegre, but Gremio held their nerve during the second half to prevail 3-1 on aggregate.
The result brings to close an epic Copa Libertadores campaign from the Guayaquil-based side who knocked over a number of big-names in their run to the semi-finals.
The Brazilian side will now meet Argentina’s Lanus in the final, with a spot at next month’s FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2017 on the line.
Gremio have previously won the Copa Libertadores in 1983 and 1995.
