Palmeiras face Flamengo in final, few old faces but big-game savvy | OneFootball

In a rematch of the 2021 final, Palmeiras and Flamengo will decide the 2025 Libertadores this Saturday (29), in Lima, Peru. Now, four years later, the Verdão returns to the field with few remaining players and a revamped team, but with many players who have already played in the continental final.

Four years ago, Palmeiras reached the final with the core of the team that had won the Libertadores back-to-back in the previous season. Abel Ferreira sent out the following starting lineup: Weverton, Mayke, Gustavo Gómez, Luan, Piquerez, Danilo, Zé Rafael, Gustavo Scarpa, Raphael Veiga, Dudu, and Rony.

Regarding the Palmeiras squad for 2025, among the starters from that occasion, only four remain. Goalkeeper Weverton (who is unavailable this Saturday due to injury), defender Gustavo Gómez, left-back Piquerez, and midfielder Raphael Veiga are all available.

However, in the current Palmeiras squad, although young and with recent signings, other players have already had the chance to play in the continental competition final for other clubs. These include Bruno Fuchs and Paulinho (Atlético-MG in 2024), Khellven and Vitor Roque (Athletico-PR in 2022), and Andreas Pereira (Flamengo in 2021) – all were defeated.

2021 Final

In 2021, in the final held at the Centenario Stadium in Montevideo, Uruguay, Palmeiras came out on top after 120 minutes of play. With a goal by Deyverson, the green team defeated the Carioca team 2-1 in extra time and claimed the third continental title in its history.

Flamengo Remnants

On the Flamengo side, four players remain from the 2021 starting lineup: midfielder Arrascaeta and forwards Bruno Henrique, Pedro, and Michael were part of the squad that finished as runners-up four years ago.

Additionally, coach Abel Ferreira was the Palmeiras manager in 2021, while Filipe Luís, now the Flamengo coach, was on the field wearing the red and black jersey in that final. Another player involved in the continental final four years ago is Andreas Pereira, now with the green team, who at the time was defending the Carioca team.

Next Palmeiras Game

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