Sao Paulo (Brazil), Oct 5 (IANS): Argentina's Boca Juniors qualified for the semi-finals of the 2018 Copa Libertadores football meet, in which they will play against Palmeiras, after drawing 1-1 against Brazil's Cruzeiro at the Mineirao stadium here.

Boca Juniors won 2-0 in the first-leg match played at La Bombonera stadium in Buenos Aires, reports Efe.

The Brazilian team on Thursday opened the scoring in the 57th minute with a goal by Luis Ricardo Alves, known among his fans as Sassa.

After getting ahead on the scoreboard, Cruzeiro suffered a player loss in the 80th minute due to a red card for Dede.

As Cruzeiro played with one man short, the Argentines took this advantage to tie in the 93rd minute thanks to a goal from Cristian Pavon and secured their place in the next round.

Boca Juniors will meet Brazil's Palmeiras in the semi-finals, which on Wednesday beat Chile's Colo Colo 2-0. The other semi-final match will be contested between River Plate and Gremio de Porto Alegre, the champions of the 2017 season.