BUENOS AIRES, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Luciano Vietto and Adrian Martinez scored either side of halftime as Racing Club beat Botafogo 2-0 at home in the first leg of the Recopa Sudamericana decider on Thursday.
Vietto converted a 31st-minute penalty at El Cilindro in Buenos Aires after defender Alexander Barboza brought down Martinez.
The latter doubled the advantage with a nerveless finish on the counterattack following Maximiliano Salas' through ball in the 63rd minute.
Botafogo's night went from bad to worse when 22-year old Cuiabano was shown a red card for a violent challenge on Nazareno Colombo.
The decisive second leg will be played at Rio de Janeiro's Olympic Stadium next Thursday.
Botafogo earned the right to vie for the Recopa title by winning the 2024 Copa Libertadores and Racing advanced as the Copa Sudamericana champions.
