Carlos Miguel hails Palmeiras’ clean sheet in scrappy draw | OneFootball

Palmeiras couldn't take advantage of the numerical superiority in the second half and ended up with a goalless draw against Cruzeiro this Sunday at Allianz Parque, during the 30th round of the Brazilian Championship. Highlighted on the green side, goalkeeper Carlos Miguel witnessed a scrappy game between the teams but appreciated the team's defensive effort.

“It was a very tough, scrappy game. We battled until the end, it's a shame we couldn't score. But it's also important to understand that we can't concede more goals. We managed to do that well in the game, we have to keep it up, focused from start to finish. There's still a long way to go,” he evaluated in an interview with Premiere.

Carlos Miguel made at least three great saves throughout the match and was a key player in keeping the “clean sheet,” as coach Abel Ferreira often emphasizes. The goalkeeper saved a free-kick from Matheus Pereira, a shot from Arroyo inside the area, and, in injury time, a point-blank shot from Kaio Jorge.

“The clean sheet is the most important thing for a goalkeeper, but it's also very important collectively for us. We work daily to not concede goals and try to score as many goals as possible up front. It's about staying happy, keeping focused, staying grounded, humble, as there's still a lot of work ahead,” said the goalkeeper, who started for the third time this Sunday due to Weverton's injury.

Finally, the goalkeeper also spoke about the Libertadores decision, which awaits Palmeiras this Thursday. The Verdão lost the first leg of the semifinal 3-0 against LDU and needs a historic comeback to advance to the final. Carlos Miguel admitted the difficulty but stated that the team will give everything on the field in pursuit of qualification.

“It's the team spirit, the will, the dedication from start to finish. Nothing is over yet, there's a lot ahead. We will fight for 90 minutes to secure qualification. It's tough, but not impossible,” concluded the green goalkeeper.

Standings Situation

The draw wasn't much for either team. Palmeiras reached their third consecutive game without a win and missed the chance to open a bigger gap over Flamengo, who lost in the round. Despite this, Verdão remained in the lead with 62 points – one more than the Carioca team.

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