LIMA, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- Inter Milan loanee Gabriel Barbosa struck two late goals as Flamengo came from behind to secure a dramatic 2-1 victory over defending champions River Plate in the Copa Libertadores final here on Saturday.
Colombian forward Rafael Borre opened the scoring for the Argentine side when he capitalized on hesitant Flamengo defending to fire in from 12 yards.
River looked to be cruising toward their third Libertadores title in five years before Barbosa, a hitherto peripheral figure in the match, equalized for the Brazilian side with a close-range finish in the 89th minute.
The 23-year-old Brazil international then sent Flamengo fans into delirious celebrations by rifling in a first-time effort in the third minute of injury time.
It was just Flamengo's second Copa Libertadores triumph and their first since 1981, when legendary playmaker Zico led them to glory in the final against Chile's Cobreloa.
The Rio de Janeiro outfit will now represent South America in the FIFA Club World Cup, to be played in Qatar next month.
"We didn't play well and credit to River for stopping us from playing the way we like to," Flamengo left-back Filipe Luis said after the match.
"But we didn't give up. I don't know if we deserved it, but one team had to lose," he added.
It took just 14 minutes for River to take the lead at Estadio Monumental in Peru's capital. Gerson and Willian Arao failed to clear an Ignacio Fernandez cross from the right and Borre pounced by firing an unstoppable first-time shot past Diego Alves.
River were superior throughout the first half and almost scored again just before the interval when Exequiel Palacio's long-range attempt flew narrowly wide of the target.
Flamengo emerged from the break with renewed vigor but couldn't find a way past River's compact defense, which included two lines of four players in front of goalkeeper Franco Armani.
However the match changed course when Flamengo manager Jorge Jesus replaced Gerson with former Atletico Madrid playmaker Diego Ribas.
The 34-year-old's presence had an immediately calming influence on his teammates, and suddenly Flamengo began to move the ball with more fluency and incision.
Barbosa and Everton Ribeiro had shots saved by Armani, but the equalizer finally came in the 89th minute after fine work from Bruno Henrique.
The former Wolfsburg forward danced around a posse of markers before sliding a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Arrascaeta, whose lunging cross gave Barbosa an easy tap-in at the far post.
Suddenly teeming with confidence, Barbosa again showed his predatory instincts as he took advantage of Pinola's feeble headed clearance by thumping a 15-yard effort past Armani in the penultimate minute of injury time.
