Cerro Porteño Overwhelms Recoleta with Three First-Half Goals

Cerro Porteño turned a difficult-looking fixture into a comfortable 3-1 victory over Recoleta FC in Itauguá, scoring all three of its goals before halftime. The result came in the eighth round of the 2026 Clausura tournament at the 12 de Octubre stadium.

The first half offered chances at both ends, but Cerro made its opportunities count. Recoleta hit the crossbar twice, while Aldo Walmor González failed to finish his attempts. Recoleta goalkeeper Manuel Roffo also gave Cerro an opening after delaying a restart and conceding a corner.

Jorge Morel held up the ball before Iván Ramírez sent it toward Ignacio Aliseda, who supplied Pablo Vegetti. With time and space, Vegetti controlled the ball and fired a left-footed shot into the net. He then struck again after Gamarra's pass from the right, getting ahead of Pereira to make it 2-0. The 37-year-old forward completed his first brace for Cerro Porteño despite the team's long injury list.

Near the end of the half, Ramírez added a third with a right-footed shot from outside the area. Recoleta responded early in the second half when Marcos Pereira headed in Wil Báez's corner. The goal improved Recoleta's performance, but the side struggled to finish its attacks. Cerro's best football came before the break, and the team managed the remainder of the match to give Gustavo Costas his first victory in the club's new era.