Analysis: Palmeiras do enough to win, but rue missed chances again | OneFootball

The 0-0 draw between Palmeiras and Grêmio cannot be explained by a poor performance from Alviverde. The team did enough to win, controlled different phases of the match, and found a variety of ways to get into the opposition’s box.

The problem came in the final action. Verdão had 29 shots, hit the woodwork twice, and forced Weverton into at least four decisive saves. After 101 minutes of football, however, they left the Grêmio Arena with only one point.

The performance offers positive signs for Abel Ferreira ahead of the most important part of the season. At the same time, it raises a familiar warning: creating more than the opponent does not guarantee victory when finishing remains poor.

Palmeiras finds different ways to attack

With Abel Ferreira suspended, João Martins abandoned the formation with three natural center-backs and lined up Gustavo Gómez and Alexander Barboza in central defense. Giay and Piquerez played as full-backs, while Marlon Freitas, Lucas Evangelista, and Andreas Pereira formed the midfield.

Up front, Jhon Arias had freedom to roam, while Flaco López and Vitor Roque occupied Grêmio’s back line. The positioning of the players allowed Palmeiras to attack both down the flanks and through the middle.

It was not a team dependent only on crosses or long balls. Verdão managed to speed things up with Arias, brought Andreas closer to the forwards, used the full-backs’ depth, and placed players inside the box.

The first chances showed that variety. Marlon Freitas hit the crossbar with a shot from outside the area. Vitor Roque also struck the post after an attacking move, while Gustavo Gómez threatened in the air.

Palmeiras went into halftime without scoring, but had already found the spaces needed to win.

Pressure increases, but the goal does not come

The pattern remained similar in the second half. Palmeiras stayed in the attacking half, won the ball back quickly on several occasions, and forced Grêmio to defend close to their own box.

Vitor Roque threatened again with a header saved by Weverton. Andreas Pereira found space to shoot from inside the area, but was also denied by the goalkeeper. On another occasion, Wallace saved Grêmio on the goal line.

The substitutions kept the pressure on. Maurício, Felipe Anderson, Sosa, Khellven, and Arthur gave the team energy against an opponent dropping deeper and deeper.

The best chance in stoppage time summed up the match. Palmeiras managed to get into the box and shoot from a clear position, but Weverton rushed out at the attacker’s feet. On the rebound, the goalkeeper came up big again and prevented Sosa from finishing.

Verdão ended the match with 72% possession, 29 shots, and 13 efforts on target. None of them ended up in the net.

Weverton explains part of the result — but not all of it

Weverton’s performance has to be taken into account. The former Palmeiras goalkeeper produced one of the best individual displays of the match and saved efforts of varying difficulty.

Even so, attributing the result exclusively to Grêmio’s No. 1 would hide Palmeiras’ share of responsibility. Not all 29 shots required great saves, and the volume could have been turned into even clearer chances with better decisions on the final pass.

In some plays, Palmeiras accelerated when they could have kept building the move. In others, they chose to shoot even with teammates in better positions. There were also crosses delivered without the precision needed to make the most of Flaco López, Vitor Roque, and Gómez inside the box.

Weverton was the standout, but Palmeiras helped create their own wastefulness.

Grêmio shows the risk of transitions

The dominance also does not mean Palmeiras played a perfect match. By pushing full-backs and midfielders forward, the team left spaces for Grêmio’s counterattacks.

Carlos Miguel had to make saves late in the first half on attempts from Pavón and Gustavo Martins. On one of them, the goalkeeper tipped the ball onto the crossbar.

Grêmio created less, but found space whenever they managed to break the initial pressure. Against opponents with greater technical quality, that exposure could bring more serious consequences.

Abel’s challenge will be to preserve the attacking volume shown in Porto Alegre without leaving Gómez and Barboza exposed in open-field situations.

FIFA international break becomes an important period for corrections

The result took Palmeiras to 57 points and prevented the team from temporarily taking the lead in the Brasileirão. More than the momentary position, however, the match leaves a clear task for the period without games.

The team does not need to rebuild its attacking system from scratch. The structure worked, the team advanced with different players, and created enough chances. The adjustment lies in the quality of decision-making and efficiency in front of goal.

Palmeiras’ next match will be against Bahia on October 8 at Nubank Parque. Three days later, Verdão will face Corinthians before beginning the Libertadores semifinal against Fluminense.

At the decisive stage, producing 29 shots may not be enough. Palmeiras will need to turn dominance into a lead on the scoreboard.

Frequently asked questions

How many times did Palmeiras shoot against Grêmio?

Palmeiras finished the match with 29 shots, 13 of them on target.

Why didn’t Palmeiras beat Grêmio?

Verdão hit the woodwork twice, wasted chances, and came up against a decisive performance from Weverton.

When will Palmeiras play again?

Palmeiras will face Bahia on October 8 at 9:30 p.m. at Nubank Parque.

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