October 22 – Brazilian club Palmeiras eliminated rivals Fluminense from the CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores following a 5-3 penalty shootout after suffering a 1-0 defeat in the second leg of their semi-final.
The Sao Paolo entity had held a 2-1 lead going into the home leg of the contest, however an 82nd minute strike from Fluminense’s Hercules brought parity, and the dreaded lottery of penalties.
Palmeiras goalkeeper Miguel made the crucial contribution when he saved Nonato’s attempt to win the shootout 5-3 and advance to the competition’s final for a second consecutive year.
It’s the fourth Copa Libertadores final for Palmeiras’s Portuguese manager Abel Ferreira. He said: “There is no magic formula. I’ve lost so many times before… I’ll just put a protocol in place, and that’s that. We know that we can either win or lose. No coach in the world has a magic formula.
“When it comes to penalty shootouts, it’s essential that the takers score their goals and that our goalkeeper makes a save. It’s extremely difficult, no matter how much you train.”
They will face defending champions Flamengo or Estudiantes de La Plata in the final. The pair drew 0-0 in the first leg. Flamengo will be the favourites to clinch the tie hosting the Argentine club at a sold-out Maracana today
Last year, the Rio club defeated Palmeiras in the competition’s final 1-0.
Brazilian clubs have won the Copa Libertadores in each of the last seven years, and a new all-Brazilian final would underline their dominance of South America’s premier club competition.
Montevideo’s legendary Centenario Stadium will host the final on 28 November. In 2021, it was the venue for Palmeiras’s second Libertadores win under Ferreira, defeating Flamengo 2-1.
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at [email protected]
