BUENOS AIRES, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Gustavo Gomez and Vitor Roque scored first-half goals as Palmeiras clinched a 2-1 away win over River Plate in the first leg of their Copa Libertadores quarterfinal on Wednesday.

Paraguay international defender Gomez opened the scoring by heading home at the far post after Andreas Pereira's corner.

The Brazilian side doubled its lead through Roque, who ran onto Jose Lopez's clever through ball and calmly slotted his shot into the far corner.

The Argentine club pulled a goal back when Lucas Martinez Quarta's 25-yard drive beat goalkeeper Weverton after taking a deflection.

"This was the result we wanted," Palmeiras manager Abel Ferreira told a post-match news conference.

"To leave here with a good result, knowing that we'll be at home in the second leg was our goal. We had to defend well in the second half, which is what you'd expect when you're up against River Plate at home."

The return leg will be played at Allianz Parque in Sao Paulo next Wednesday, with Palmeiras needing only a draw to reach the semifinals. ■