Libertadores: Estudiantes, Nacional boost in last 8

MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) -- Argentina's Estudiantes registered a valuable away win and Uruguay's Nacional held Brazil's Palmeiras to a home draw in the first legs of their Copa Libertadores quarterfinals on Thursday.

A header from Leandro Desabato gave Estudiantes a 1-0 win in Montevideo against Uruguay's Defensor Sporting, while Santiago Garcia's 80th minute strike for Nacional leveled the match against Palmeiras after Diego Souza's 55th minute opener.

Estudiantes and Defensor will play the return leg in La Plata on June 18. Palmeiras will travel to Uruguay on June 17. The winners will face each other in the semifinals.

The two other quarterfinal first leg fixtures were played on Wednesday. Cruzeiro beat Sao Paulo 2-1 at home in an all-Brazilian clash, while Caracas and Brazil's Gremio drew 1-1 in Venezuela. Both return legs will be played on June 17.

Estudiantes produced a controlled away performance against Defensor with captain Juan Sebastian Veron commanding the midfield.

Veron provided the service for the sole goal in the 13th minute, whipping a freekick into the box for defender Desabato to force the ball past Martin Silva in the Defensor goal.

Silva had produced a double save three minutes earlier to block a Mauro Boselli header and then divert Desabato's follow-up round the post.

Both teams were reduced to 10 men in the 24th minute when Marcos Angeleri of Estudiantes and Jorge Curbelo were sent off for an off-the-ball scuffle.

Defensor's best chance of an equalizer came when Alvaro Navarro beat Estudiantes goalkeeper Mariano Andujar to a cross in the 31st minute, but headed wide.

Boselli almost scored a second for Estudiantes in the second half, hitting the crossbar in the 69th minute after slack defending from the Uruguayan team.

Meanwhile, Nacional made a storming start to the match against Palmeiras, dominating the opening exchanges and forcing the Brazilian club?s coach Wanderlei Luxemburgo into a double substitution with less than half an hour played.

Palmeiras improved in the second half and took the lead in the 55th minute when Souza's long range shot squirmed through the hands of Rodrigo Munoz.

Nacional got a deserved equalizer when teenage striker Garcia latched on to a long pass from fellow substitute Angel Morales in the 80th minute and scored with a first-time finish.

Nacional and Sao Paulo advanced to the quarter-final stage after Mexican clubs San Luis and Guadalajara withdrew from the tournament because of the swine flu outbreak.

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