Allianz boost and belief: Palmeiras eye Libertadores comeback | OneFootball

Palmeiras faces an extremely challenging task this Thursday. In the second leg of the Libertadores semifinal, the Verdão takes on Ecuador's LDU and seeks a comeback. The match kicks off at 9:30 PM (Brasília time) at Allianz Parque.

The Alviverde knows it will need to "climb a mountain" to secure qualification, having lost the first leg 3-0. Therefore, the Palmeiras team needs a 4-0 win to advance in regular time. A tie on aggregate sends the decision to penalties.

Although they have never overturned a knockout in the Libertadores during Abel Ferreira's era, Palmeiras relies on two main factors that could make a difference in this Thursday's clash: the 'fortress' Allianz Parque and the confidence in a comeback.

Palmeiras shows strength at home

Palmeiras has shown its strength at home this season, especially in the Copa Libertadores. As hosts, Verdão is unbeaten in the continental tournament. They have four wins and one draw in five games, achieving an 86.6% success rate, with 12 goals scored and only one conceded.

The biggest win for the Alviverde in this edition of the Libertadores, in fact, came at Allianz Parque. In the last round of the group stage, coach Abel Ferreira's team thrashed Peru's Sporting Cristal with a 6-0 victory. Estêvão, Flaco López (twice), Veiga, Paulinho, and Facundo Torres found the net.

Overall this season, Palmeiras also presents good numbers as hosts. In 31 matches, the Alviverde team secured 19 wins, seven draws, and suffered only five defeats, achieving a 68.8% success rate. The team scored 56 goals and conceded only 19.

Beyond the numbers, the support of the fans will be crucial to push Palmeiras in pursuit of the historic comeback. According to a partial report released by the club, 35,000 tickets had already been sold by the morning of last Wednesday, the day before the clash.

Coach, squad, and fans believe in the comeback

Besides the Allianz Parque factor, what could also weigh in favor of Palmeiras is the confidence shown by the coaching staff, squad, and fans in the comeback. More than once, coach Abel Ferreira has expressed confidence in the team's ability to overturn the unfavorable scoreline.

In a press conference after the first leg, Abel stated that "90 minutes at Allianz Parque is a long time." After the draw against Cruzeiro over the weekend, the coach again spoke about the decision and called on the fans to experience a "magical night" at the venue of the duel.

Some players from the Alviverde squad also made it clear that Palmeiras can – and should – seek qualification to the final despite the setback in the first leg. Piquerez and Giay kept their heads up, as did Bruno Fuchs, who also emphasized focus on the comeback after the draw against Cruzeiro.

"It's a different game, a knockout. Obviously, we are three goals behind, but we believe. I've said before that we've managed to score three or more goals recently, especially here at home, with the support of our fans. We hold onto that, the quality of our group. It was a very bad game there, but we believe. We have a good team, a good coach. We will believe and fight until the end," said the defender.

The Alviverde fans have not given up on the knockout stage. Quite the opposite. Last Wednesday, the squad held their final training session before the clash at Allianz Parque. Verdão supporters gathered in front of the stadium gates, sang chants of support, and displayed banners with the words "Fight without stopping" and "We believe in you."

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