Carlos Miguel’s night, Palmeiras keeper hailed as hero after penalty saves seal Libertadores semi-final berth | OneFootball

Carlos Miguel saved two penalties in Quito to send Palmeiras into the Libertadores semi-finals, despite a 3-2 defeat to LDU in normal time.

According to Globo.com, he denied Lucas Rodríguez and Segovia in the shootout, diving right to stop the latter and clinch progress.

His celebration was low key as team-mates rushed to him, and he later embraced the goalkeeping coaches. Assistant Vitor Castanheira said he deserved the moment and that hard work, dedication and focus had been rewarded.

With 63 games for Palmeiras, he will complete one year as first choice in October. He has 30 clean sheets, though errors against Atlético-MG in the league and Cerro Porteño in the Libertadores drew scrutiny. Even so, the club see him as their short, medium and long-term future at 27.

He had little to do in normal time and could do little about LDU's goals. His stops meant Lucas Evangelista's miss did not prove costly.

Lucas Evangelista apologised for the poor effort, thanked the keeper and joked he would buy him a present. Carlos Miguel said they work hard to deliver in moments like this.

The win ended Palmeiras’ penalty shootout drought dating back to 2022, with seven defeats in eight under Abel Ferreira. They now face Fluminense in the semi-final, chasing a fourth Libertadores final under Abel.

Source: Globo.com

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