Cerro Porteño Return to Winning Ways in Gustavo Costas’ Second Game in Charge

Cerro Porteño needed only one half to settle its match against Recoleta. The club scored three times before halftime and won 3-1 in the eighth round of Paraguay’s Clausura tournament, giving Gustavo Costas a victory in his second game of a new spell on the bench.

Pablo Vegetti opened the scoring in the 14th minute and struck again in the 34th. Iván Ramírez added the third in the 44th minute, putting Cerro Porteño firmly in control before the break. Recoleta defender Marcos Pereira pulled one back seven minutes into the second half, but Cerro Porteño held on.

The result ended Cerro Porteño’s wait for a win since the fifth round. In Costas’ first match back, the team drew 1-1 with Libertad. The 63-year-old Argentine previously led Cerro Porteño to four titles between January 2005 and April 2007.

Elsewhere, Nacional beat Libertad 3-0, Olimpia drew 1-1 with Guaraní, and Trinidense won 3-0 away to Sportivo Ameliano. San Lorenzo beat Rubio Ñú 3-1, while 2 de Mayo and Sportivo Luqueño drew 2-2. 2 de Mayo stayed top with 18 points, two ahead of Libertad and three ahead of Nacional.