Fluminense scored a crucial away goal to take charge of their Copa Sudamericana tie with Paraguayan giants Cerro Porteno in a 1-0 win on Wednesday.

Fred netted the winner thirty minutes into the second half to give the Brazilians the advantage going into the second leg next Wednesday in Rio de Janeiro. Fluminense may be battling relegation at home but they put their domestic troubles to one side and Cerro needed an outstanding display from goalkeeper Diego Barreto just to stay in the game.

He kept them in it until the 75th minute, but could do nothing when Fluminense goalkeeper Rafael hit a long pass to Fred, and the former Lyon striker stayed cool to slot home a left-footed shot. Cerro Porteno, having looked dangerous in the early stages, mounted no sort of response as the Brazilians cruised to victory.

"We scored at the right moment," said Fluminense playmaker Diego Conca. "The match was very even. Then we managed to contain Cerro's pressure.

"We defended well, we played a great match. Maybe tonight we played better than Cerro, but their team are strong enough to win in Rio, so we must be careful," he added on Fox Sports.

The winners of this tie will play River Plate of Uruguay or Ecuador's Liga Deportiva Universitaria, who play the first leg of their tie on Thursday night.