Before Saturday, no team had won the Libertadores title in a row in 20 years, but Palmeiras did it the hard way. This second all-Brazilian final is a much tougher test than the previous victory over Santos, with Palmeiras having to dig deep to get past the Rio de Janeiro giants and 2019 champions Flamengo.
2-1 win in Montevideo was Palmeiras’ first win over Flamengo in four years, spanning 10 games. This is not a coincidence. Palmeiras’ counter-attacking and deep defense pattern was constantly struggling against Flamengo’s attack. Abel Ferreira, the club’s Portuguese coach, had to think long and hard in his quest to find a different ending.
Ferreira is aware that his team should not defend passively; they may be close to their goal, but they should be front-footed, catching up on tackles. And he also needed to make sure his team maximized his attacking threat, so he kept Gustavo Scarpa, his additional attacking midfielder, but with discipline. Scarpa will have to step back and operate on the left, Dudu will have to do the same on the right and Raphael Veiga will be free to move behind the nimble striker like Rony.
It delivered results faster than maybe even Ferreira had hoped for. Flamengo’s left-back Filipe Luis tracking Dudu, halfway there. Focus again Gustavo Gomez play long into the space behind him, and dynamic right-back Mayke pulls in behind the line. David Luiz didn’t come out to cover, and Mayke stepped back to let Veiga put Palmeiras ahead with just six minutes left.
The previous meeting between the two sides took place in September. Palmeiras took the lead after 14 minutes, and Flamengo took the lead after 16 minutes. There will be no repeat.
Ferreira gives his instructions from the touchline, reminding his players that if their hearts have to be warm, their minds need to be cool. Defending against Flamengo’s individual talent will require intense concentration.
But even with many of the same names, this is not the team that completely conquered Flamengo in 2019, when Jorge Jesus, their own Portuguese coach, created a machine. The 2021 team has more power in depth, especially in the striker positions, but is less flexible, less collective, more dependent on individual inspiration.
Coach Renato Portaluppi is the latest to struggle to live up to the legacy of Jorge Jesus, but his record shows his ability to get his career back on track, giving confidence to players who are already playing. was missing a valuable item. It’s a trick he performed recently with winger Michael, first choice on the bench. The fans were clamoring for him, and after just an hour he was on the pitch against the disappointing Everton Ribeiro.
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Although he is right-footed, Michael likes to cross in from the left. This time, however, he started from the other side. It makes sense. Palmeiras left-back Joaquin Piquerez is not the best natural defender, and attacking him is worth it.
There is another consequence. Striker Gabriel Barbosa moves to the left flank. Gabriel He is a marksman, but he is restrained for the most part with his left foot. He missed a chance on his right, but now the pass helped him score the equalizer – although Abel Ferreira could hardly believe his eyes.
Goalie Weverton was one of the standout players on his team, possibly even the most prominent. He has distinguished himself twice already. In the first half, Flamengo made a surprise attack, with Gabriel’s cross narrowly missing the post. Bruno Henrique nodded and Giorgian De Arrascaeta volleyed with his left foot across the goal, forcing a superb save. And there was another when David Luiz edged past Piquerez on a free kick, and the keeper saved with his arm.
But Weverton made a big mistake in the equalizer. Now on the left, Gabriel made a neat exchange with De Arrascaeta and unleashed a precise shot into the near corner. It should have been a routine save, but Weverton failed. He may have lost focus, believing he had spotted a pitch earlier in the move, but as a result Palmeiras slipped up unpredictably, and Flamengo was classy.
At this point, Palmeiras could have dealt with penalties well, even though they have lost all three penalty shootouts this year. The stress of the moment caused the limb to drop, and Palmeiras spent most of the game chasing the ball. Surely they will get tired first.
The great opportunity in 90 minutes fell into the hands of Flamengo. De Arrascaeta ranks Michael behind Piquerez, and the diminutive winger has two options: he can shoot, or cross the ball to Bruno Henrique from the far corner. Maybe he tried a bit of both, but he misjudged his shot and the ball went harmlessly across the goal.
In extra time, Palmeiras was forced to replace both central midfielders. Danilo and Ze Rafael retreated, exhausted from the task of chasing, catching, blocking and rushing forward when they could, but a weary error from a Flamengo central midfielder decided the game and the fate of the title. brand.
Borrowed from Manchester United, Andreas Pereira momentarily lost control of the ball. He was last, so when the striker came on for Palmeiras, Deyverson jumped in to snatch him, with only goalkeeper Diego Alves standing between him and goal. Deyverson shined and won the eyeball match, sending Diego Alves swerving to the left, and swinging the ball over to the other side. This time Flamengo failed to return, and for the second year in a row, Palmeiras was without a single hero.
In the 2020 conquest, unannounced substitute Breno Lopes scored the winning goal. And now, the much-traveled and often controversial Deyverson has decided everything with the sole objective of the campaign. Famous for his temper – the tall striker has in the past occasionally blamed a chip next to him for outrageous behaviour – Deyverson has now made Italian community club Sao Paulo sung supremely happy.
