Abel Ferreira changes, gives chances to Endrick and Kevin, but without inspiration the Alviverde team leaves Allianz Parque scoreless
This Wednesday, Palmeiras promoted a sleepy and mundane match in front of their fans at the Allianz Parque. Thanks to the 4-0 defeat in the first leg, the Alviverde team was able to reduce their efforts and still guarantee qualification for the semi-finals of the group. Liberators Cup to the goalless draw with the Colombian Deportivo Pereira.
In this season’s Libertadores knockout stage, Palmeiras have yet to score a home goal. Even against Atlético-MG it didn’t start from scratch. The weak performance did not stop the club from achieving Santos de Pelé’s historic milestone of reaching its fourth consecutive semi-final. Vila’s team established the feat in the 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1965 editions.
“Today we did it. I am very happy to reach another semi-final. It is constant and excellent work from Palmeiras. There are many good things to come,” said Gustavo Gómez after the match.
The sleepy first half didn’t remove the zero from the Allianz Parque scoreboard
The sleepy start to the match was combined with the huge lead built up by the alviverde team in the first leg, in which they won 4 – 0. Abel promoted changes in the sides of the team by choosing three defenders and only two forwards. The lack of depth in the games took away one of the great strengths of the Palmeiras team. López, on the other hand, drew good moves, but it took him a while to understand Rony’s move. The defense held up, as usual. Palmeiras fails to take the reins of the duel as they did in the first match and it takes a while to disturb the opposing goalkeeper.
Not even the crowd volume that turned up at key moments could keep the sleepiness away from the players. López, author of one of the rare opportunities as owner, tried in every way to take advantage of the opportunity. Finished a few times without success. Even Murilo, upside down, came close.
Deportivo Pereira gave up the game and gave Weverton a hard time with long shots and required some reflection in Zuluaga’s finish inside the penalty area. In the 44th minute, the beam helped Palmeiras after a good move and Ángelo Rodríguez’s finish.
The zero score faithfully represented what was the first half. Neither team looked ready to fight. Colombians have found space in moments of inattention. The only tense character was Abel, disturbed by the refereeing from the first moves.
Palmeiras grows in the second half, but does not swing the net
The prospect of playing looser wingers up front by removing traditional wingers and using three backs didn’t materialize as expected, so Abel returned from the break with Mayke and Vanderlan replacing Marcos Rocha and Piquerez. Palmeiras proved to be more courageous, they tried more to score and saw Raphael Veiga reawaken. Ron also tried the famous bike again.
Still unhappy, the Portuguese coach decided to bring in Endrick and Artur, sparing starters Veiga and Rony. Passing errors made life difficult for Palmeiras in attack. Ríos took over the creative role, but it was certainly not a favorable night for the hosts. Artur once again demonstrated that he has to calibrate his kicks better than him.
Weverton were decisive with dangerous actions by Deportivo Pereira, preventing the opening of the scoring with precise defenses. Ever since he entered the field, Endrick has had Quintero as his executioner. The defender chased the young striker from his early stages and was sent off after committing consecutive fouls and receiving a second yellow card.
With one more athlete, Palmeiras has grown in the match. Endrick, already sold to Real Madrid, had good chances to score. Responding to requests from the audience, Abel put 20-year-old Kevin into play. However, the late stages of the match did not favor his performance, nor did the Alviverde team get excited enough to leave their stadium with the victory.
What will be Palmeiras’ next match?
Palmeiras will travel to Itaquera over the weekend to face their arch-rival Corinthians for the Brazilian championship. The ball rolls Sunday at 16.00. For Libertadores, the next phase will be played in the first leg between 26 and 28 September, while the second leg is scheduled between 3 and 5 October. The Alviverde team will play its first duel in Argentina and will decide whether to return to the final at the Allianz Parque.
PALMS 0 x 0 DEPORTIVO PEREIRA
- PALMS: Weverton; Gómez, Luan and Murilo; Marcos Rocha (Mayke), Zé Rafael, Richard Ríos and Piquerez (Vanderlan); Raphael Veiga (Artur), Rony (Endrick) and Flaco López (Kevin). Technician: Abel Ferreira.
- DEPORTIVO PEREIRA: Quintana; Monroy, Garcés, Quintero, Carlos Ramírez and Fory; Zuluaga (Valencia), Murillo (Congo) and Bocanegra (Medina); “Rocky” Balboa (Perea) and Angelo Rodríguez. Technician: Alessandro Restrepo.
- REFEREE: Cristián Garay (CHI).
- YELLOW CARDS: Bocanegra and Murillo.
- RED CARD: Quintero.
- PUBLIC: 37,785 fans.
- INCOME: BRL 3,641,343.19.
- LOCAL: Allianz Parque, in São Paulo.
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
