Galo humiliated 3-0 by Palmeiras at Arena MRV despite extra man | OneFootball

Atlético had a night to forget at Arena MRV. This Wednesday (03), in the 34th round of the Brazilian Championship, Galo was dominated by Palmeiras and lost 3-0, in a match marked by defensive errors, a stellar performance from the opposing goalkeeper, and an offensive volume that did not translate into goals. Flaco López and Allan scored in the first half, while Luighi sealed the score in the second half.

With this result, Verdão maintained second place in the championship and now only needs a win in the final round to secure the runner-up spot, without depending on other results. The trophy already has an owner: Flamengo beat Ceará this Wednesday and claimed the 2025 Brazilian title. Atlético, meanwhile, remains stuck at 45 points, stays in 13th place, and will need to beat Vasco in the final round to secure a spot in next season’s Copa Sudamericana.

Disastrous first half and individual mistakes

The match started dramatically for Atlético. In the very first minute, Vitor Hugo made a mistake in the build-up, Vitor Roque took advantage and scored — but the goal was disallowed for offside. The relief didn’t last long.

At 8 minutes, more errors in Atlético’s defense proved costly. Alonso and Vitor Hugo got tangled up trying to build from the back, Vitor Roque recovered the ball and shot at Everson. On the rebound, Flaco López, well positioned, slotted it home and opened the scoring for Palmeiras.

The situation worsened at 19 minutes, when Guilherme Arana failed to clear a long ball to Allan. The ball fell perfectly for the Palmeiras striker, who dribbled past Arana and finished past Everson: 2-0.

Jorge Sampaoli responded before halftime. The coach abandoned the three-center-back system and brought Bernard on for Alonso. The change helped organize the team, and Atlético started to have more offensive presence. At 44 minutes, things seemed to look up for the home side: Piquerez was sent off after a hard tackle on Saravia.

Pressure, shots off the post, and a miracle from Carlos Miguel

With a man advantage, Galo dominated the second half and piled on the chances. According to the Sofascore portal, there were 33 shots throughout the match, as well as three shots off the post and four big chances created. Goalkeeper Carlos Miguel, however, had an inspired night: he made nine saves, many of them pure reaction, and became one of the standout players of the game.

Even under pressure, Palmeiras knew how to suffer and waited for the right moment to kill the match. At the 39th minute of the second half, Jefté advanced through the middle unmarked, found Luighi, who controlled and finished with precision, low and out of Everson’s reach: 3-0.

Atlético’s situation

The defeat prevents Galo from breathing easy in the standings. With 45 points, the team remains in 13th place and still does not have a guaranteed spot in next season’s Sudamericana. The mission is simple: beat Vasco in the final round to avoid depending on other results.

Atlético and Vasco face each other next Sunday (07), at 4:00 p.m., at Arena MRV.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.