Oscar Villegas’ men got off to the perfect start, when that man Miguelito struck for the sixth time in Bolivia’s last eight World Cup qualifiers. He was set up with a Diego Medina delivery before taking a lovely first touch to take him away from Benjamín Kuscevic, allowing him the freedom of the Estadio Municipal de El Alto as he finished coolly into the top corner from six yards.
Chile captain Alexis Sanchez tried to strike back, but it was the hosts who came closest to the next goal on 13 minutes. Diego Arroyo rose highest to meet a corner, but his powerful header rebounded away off the corner of post and bar.
Things were all going the way of La Verde, but a moment of madness from Lucas Chávez on the quarter-hour mark stunted that early momentum. His initial yellow card for a comically high boot to the chest of Fabián Hormazábal was correctly upgraded to a red by VAR.
However, La Roja could not capitalise, with an exchange of well-saved efforts from Gabriel Villamíl and Rodrigo Echeverría the height of the remaining first half action. Any momentum that Chile had was well and truly dashed 10 minutes after the restart, as Uruguayan referee Esteban Ostojich levelled the number of players on each side.
The visitors’ Francisco Sierralta was only introduced at the break, but was shown a straight red for a ludicrous lunge on Robson Matheus.
His goalkeeper, Brayan Cortes, almost compounded matters as he fumbled the resulting free-kick, but regathered before a green shirt could capitalise.
On 65 minutes, the hosts threatened again as they worked the ball out left to Roberto Fernandez, but he seemed to get caught in two minds and ultimately passed the ball tamely into the gloves of Cortés with options in the middle.
Another half-time arrival Victor Davila was troubling the home defence, but was frustrated at every turn, which summed up his team’s day in the thin El Alto air.
Any hope for the visitors evaporated completely in stoppage time as substitute Enzo Monteiro bundled home after Cortés spilled Miguelito’s shot.
The victory puts Bolivia a point behind Venezuela, who occupy the Intercontinental playoff place ahead of their trip to Uruguay. The defeat for Ricardo Gareca’s Chile officially confirms that they will miss out on a third consecutive World Cup finals.