Defensa y Justicia failed to make the most of their superiority last month in Florencio Varela but there was no such mistake in the Estadio Florencio Sola on Thursday evening as El Halcón sealed a historic quarter final place in this year’s Copa Sudamericana.

With the tie still goalless after more than 160 minutes of play, a goal at either end was always going to be decisive and so when Alexander Barboza broke the deadlock the visitors took a huge step towards the next round. The goal was perhaps a little fortunate given the usually reliable Mauricio Arboleda punched the ball up into the air and in the melee, Barboza nodded into the net without referee Esteban Ostojich blowing for a foul.

Banfield had to throw caution to the wind and as Julio César Falcioni urged his side forward, El Halcón were able to wrap up the win. A long clearance up field released 18-year-old substitute Ignacio Aliseda and he raced around Arboleda to roll in the second.

The winner of the tie between Junior and Colón await but for Defensa y Justicia the quarter final of an international competition is already uncharted territory.