After coming through one round of qualifying in dramatic circumstance and snatching a last minute equaliser from last week’s first leg, Banfield’s luck finally ran out on Wednesday in Montevideo as Nacional snatched a place in the Copa Libertadores group stage.

The 2-2 draw in the Estadio Florencio Sola had made the Uruguayans favourites to progress but Banfield had their chances and were left raging over referee Sandro Ricci’s decision to wave away penalty appeals fifteen minutes from time.

Nicolás Bartolo’s charge into the penalty area appeared to be clumsily halted by Santiago Romero but Ricci thought otherwise and ignored the cries from the visitors, sparking an angry response at the full time whistle.

Este es el penal que no cobró Ricci a favor de Banfield, si hubiera sido al revés ya estaríamos hablando de la persecución a los equipos Uruguayos pic.twitter.com/nyClFlLUgB

— diego jokas (@diegojokas) February 22, 2018

Both sides had created chances and a place in the Libertadores group stage remained in the balance until stoppage time when Paulo Zunino fired past Iván Arboleda from the edge of the box.

The 1-0 victory secured a 3-2 aggregate victory for Nacional, who now take a place in group six with Santos, Estudiantes and Real Garcilaso while Banfield wait to see if they will take a spot in the Copa Sudamericana as consolation.