Chile: Colo Colo Are The Clausura Champions

Colo Colo sealed the Chilean Clausura championship on Saturday with a 3-1 win at home to Deportivo Palestino in the second leg of the playoff final.

Palestino had done well to come back from a goal behind to draw 1-1 in their home leg of the tie, and showed great heart once more as they came back from Lucas Barrios' half-hour strike to level matters before the break through Luis Pavez.

Barrios' goal was his 37th of the year, equalling Luis Hernan Alvarez's all-time Colo Colo scoring record - set in 1963 - but he was unable to add to his tally after the restart, leaving the scoring to his team-mates as Colo Colo finally made their greater possession count in front of goal.

First, Jose Domingo Salcedo slipped in Daud Gazale to put Marcelo Barticciotto's side in front, and then Rodrigo Millar put the final nail in Palestino's coffin as he collected Barrios' pass, rounded defender and goalkeeper, and tapped the ball into the empty net.

To add insult to injury for Palestino, Jean Paul Pineda was dismissed with just over quarter of an hour remaining for a crude tackle from behind.

Colo Colo's Clausura triumph is their fifth in the last six Chilean championships, but is the first since Claudio Borghi resigned as coach in the early half of the year. They now have a total of 28 league wins in their history.

Chile: Al-Ain Make Big Money Move For Barrios

United Arab Emirates side Al-Ain are rumoured to have lodged a $7million bid for Colo Colo striker Lucas Barrios, who is also attracting interest from a number of European clubs.

Barrios, 24, has scored 35 goals for Colo Colo in 2008, and such form has seen his stock rise throughout the world game, with Greek side Panathinaikos, as well as clubs in Germany and Italy, expressing a firm interest in the Argentine striker.

However, it is Al-Ain who look to have made the first definitive offer for Barrios, as they look to link him up with Chilean playmaker Jorge Valdivia, who has been a big hit since joining from Palmeiras in August.

Chairman Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is prepared to offer Barrios up to $2million a year to make the move to the Middle East, although the player is likely to hold out for a move to a competitive European league.

"Lots of different clubs are interested," he told reporters on Friday.

"Some of these are teams with lots of money, who have the funds to pay a fortune for a player. Colo Colo will be interested in such offers, but my priority is to play in a competitive league in Europe..."

Chile: Colo Colo and Palestino Set For Clausura Showdown

Colo Colo and Deportivo Palestino will contest the final of the Chilean Clausura after both sides progressed from the semi-finals on the away goals rule.

Colo Colo had drawn 3-3 away to Cobreloa Calama in the first leg of their semi-final, but were soon behind in Saturday's second leg when Argentine striker Rodrigo Mannara put Cobreloa ahead inside the opening 15 minutes.

However, with the free-scoring Lucas Barrios on their books, Los Albos always offer a goal threat, and it was a double strike either side of half-time from the sought-after striker that tipped the tie back in their favour.

First, the 24 year old expertly controlled Miguel Riffo's knockdown before prodding the ball into the back of the net, and then for his second, latched onto Macnelly Torres' through-ball, turned a defender and blasted the ball home at the near post.

Barrios' double took him to 35 goals for the year, beating the benchmark set by Humberto Suazo in 2006 and putting him just two shy of Colo Colo's all-time scoring record of 37 - achieved by Luis Hernan Alvarez in 1963 - with the two-legged final still to be played.

Cobreloa put up a decent fight and were able to level the scores with twenty minutes left to play through a Daniel González spot-kick, but were unable to find what would have been a winning goal. With the match ending 2-2, Colo Colo progressed by virtue of their three away goals to Cobreloa's two.



Deportivo Palestino had come back from two goals down away to Rangers Talca in the first leg of their semi-final clash and it was the 93rd minute own goal from Rangers keeper Rodolfo Ferrando in that fixture that proved to be the difference between the sides as the second leg ended goalless.

The home side put up a strong defensive front at the Estadio Municipal de La Cisterna, with a number of Palestinians having made the 8,000+ mile trip to see the team in action, and were able to comfortably resist the largely ineffective Rangers attack for the duration of the ninety minutes.

Victory on the away goals rule allowed Palestino reached their first Chilean league final since 1986. They have not won the championship since 1978 and will face a tough task trying to break their thirty year duck against a Colo Colo side that have won four of the last five Chilean titles, and who were close runners up to Everton in the Apertura earlier this year.

Chile: Genoa Linked With Barrios Move

Italian side Genoa are thought to be lining up a January move for Colo Colo's prolific striker Lucas Barrios according to reports in Chile, with a formal offer expected within the next week.

Barrios, 24, has scored an average of nearly a goal per game since joining Colo Colo from Mexican side Atlas at the turn of the year, and it is therefore no surprise that Genoa are interested in linking him up with fellow Argentine striker Diego Milito at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

A figure of $10million - five times more than what Colo Colo paid for Barrios - has been suggested as the likely transfer fee and Colo Colo director Luis Baquedano has admitted that such an amount would be very tempting to the club.

"A figure that high would be very difficult to turn down," he told El Mercurio.

Genoa are not the only side interested in securing Barrios' signature, with fellow Italians Catania, as well as Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven, and clubs in Mexico and Brazil also keeping a watching brief.