Abel reveals key to Palmeiras shocking Flamengo in Libertadores final | OneFootball

The coach Abel Ferreira indicated this week which team should be the starter for Palmeiras in the Copa Libertadores final against Flamengo. Without confirming the lineup or revealing his strategy, the coach hinted that he might surprise the opponent and expects a decision determined by details. The match kicks off this Saturday at 6 p.m. (Brasília time) at the Monumental U Stadium in Lima (PER).

“It's a final, we know the basics. Now, I believe it will be decided by details, where each piece can play. We know that the Palmeiras coach likes to have players who can play in various positions. The surprise might be this: the dynamics of the players within our process. You know we have players who can play more than one position, and tomorrow you will know during the game what we can do based on the context,” declared Abel.

Abel Ferreira showed no fear of having the team revealed to the rival in advance, pointing to his longevity at the club.

“I think both teams know each other well enough and I respect your opinions. I don't believe that Flamengo, at the end of a season where they had few changes, unlike Palmeiras, at this point, will do things differently. It's a final, but the teams know each other better than ever. The rival even more so because I've been with Palmeiras for five years, and the Flamengo coach has only been there for one. They know me much better because of these five years,” he concluded.

The probable lineup for Palmeiras includes Carlos Miguel; Khellven, Gustavo Gómez, Murilo, and Piquerez; Bruno Fuchs, Andreas Pereira, Raphael Veiga, and Allan; Flaco López and Vitor Roque. They traveled to Porto Alegre only on Tuesday, the day of the match against Grêmio.

Andreas Pereira, Allan, and Piquerez were even listed for the game. The first two gained minutes, while the defender stayed on the bench.

Does the poor streak influence the final?

Palmeiras is coming off a five-game winless streak, all in the Brazilian Championship. However, for Abel Ferreira, the team's performance in terms of results does not influence the great continental final since they are two distinct competitions.

“They are two completely different competitions. One thing is the championship, another is the Copa Libertadores. A defeat, a draw, ten victories, 30 goals scored, Libertadores final. We arrived with merit, consistency, talent, and a lot of effort. What we will decide tomorrow, without a doubt, is the biggest competition in South America and, for this, we are here, me, for the third time,” stated Abel.

“Despite being an opponent we know, it is a unique game, a competition where we finished first overall. If we look at it from this perspective, there is no doubt about the merit with which we arrived, for everything that was our competence in the competition. It is this competition we are talking about. The teams know each other in essence, in general. I believe the details can make the difference, and we are prepared, focused to play a great game and play from the first to the last second to win,” he concluded.

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