Two months short of his 37th birthday and with a record 40 titles on his CV, Daniel Alves had never played a game in the Copa Libertadores until his harsh baptism of fire last Thursday.

Last year, after more than a decade-and-a-half in Europe, Brazil’s captain went back home and joined Sao Paulo, who kicked off their Libertadores campaign away to Peruvian champions Binacional.

Binacional, a club founded just over ten years ago who were also playing their first game in the competition, are based in the country’s southern highlands.

They play their home games at Juliaca, a staggering 3,800 metres above sea level.

This makes life very hard for unacclimatised visitors. There is less oxygen in the rarified air.

The away side found it impossible to play their normal game.

They were gasping for breath and unable to cover as much ground, and the effects really kicked in during the second half.