Flamengo won the Copa Libertadores for the first time in 38 years as they beat defending champions River Plate 2-1 with two last-gasp goals from Gabriel Barbosa on Saturday.

Defending champion River opened the scoring in front of more than 65,000 fans at Monumental Stadium in the 14th minute through striker Rafael Santos Borré, and the Argentine side looked good to become the first back-to-back winner in 18 years.

However, Barbosa, the striker on loan from Inter Milan, tapped in from close range with a minute left and then rifled home from the top of the penalty area to secure victory in astonishing fashion.

Barbosa was then sent off seconds before the final whistle, following a red card for River's Exequiel Palacios.

The result gave Flamengo only their second Libertadores triumph and means they will represent the South American confederation in the Club World Cup in Qatar in December.

The final in Lima was the first to be played on a one-off basis at a neutral venue in the tournament's 60-year history.

The match had originally been scheduled to take place in Santiago but was switched to Lima earlier this month because of political unrest in the Chilean capital.

The change came a year after the second leg of the final between River Plate and Boca Juniors was moved to Madrid after River fans attacked the Boca coach as it approached the stadium.

Fans of the red-and-black team might have an even more memorable weekend. Flamengo will win the Brazilian championship on Sunday with four games in hand if second-placed Palmeiras fails to beat Gremio. The Rio club will then lift its seventh national title, and first since 2009.

Information from the Associated Press and Reuters was used in this story.