River Plate secure Copa Libertadores knockout spot

Buenos Aires, May 11: A second-half penalty from Rodrigo Mora earned River Plate a berth in the Copa Libertadores knockout phase as the Argentine outfit secured a 1-1 draw at home to Emelec.

The visitors took the lead at the Monumental Stadium when Ayrton Preciado fired in from close range on the hour mark on Wednesday night, reports Xinhua news agency.

But Mora equalised five minutes later when he converted a spot kick after Carlos Auzqui was brought down by Carlos Moreno.

The result lifted River Plate to 10 points from four matches, four points ahead of Independiente Medellin. Emelec were third with four points.

Buenos Aires-based River Plate are aiming to win South America's top club competition for a fourth time.