A brace by Eduardo Salvio helped Argentina's Lanus come back from a goal down to beat giants River Plate 2-1 in the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana preliminary stage.

A last-gasp strike by Salvio during injury time saw Luis Zubeldia's side to an important win as both teams look to seal a place in the last 16. Former Lanus striker Cristian Fabbiani put River ahead with a long-distance shot 23 minutes into the second half.

However, Salvio was ready to become the hero at the Estadio Monumental. He firstly equalised in the 80th minute before he then finished off a smart counter-attacking move started by Santiago Biglieri.

Lanus will host the second leg on 17 September and Salvio told Fox Sports that his team must retain focus. "This result is great for us because we become stronger at home. However, we must defend very well. I will never forget this evening. I will enjoy it a lot."

Despite the defeat, River fans celebrated the return of forward Ariel Ortega, one of the club's biggest idols, who was back from second-division side Independiente Rivadavia.