Abel Ferreira's Libertadores nightmare, ex-Sporting man thrashed | OneFootball

A disastrous first half seriously complicated Palmeiras’ chances of reaching the Copa Libertadores final. The team coached by Abel Ferreira lost 3-0 to Liga de Quito in Ecuador in the first leg of the semifinals, played in the early hours between Thursday and Friday.

The Verdão struggled greatly to cope with the altitude and the opponent’s intensity, being dominated throughout the entire first half. The nightmare began in the 16th minute, when Khellven missed a clearance and allowed Quinonez to break down the right and assist Bolivian Gabriel Villamil for the 1-0.

After losing the sole lead in the Brasileirão the previous weekend against Flamengo (3-2), the São Paulo side once again showed defensive frailties. In the 27th minute, the referee awarded a penalty for a handball by Andreas Pereira, and Alzugaray converted to make it 2-0.

The Ecuadorian dominance continued until halftime and, already in stoppage time, Ramirez Leon got past the Palmeiras defense and once again set up Villamil, who scored his second and made it 3-0 before the break. In the second half, Palmeiras managed to stabilize, but couldn’t find a way to respond. The 38-year-old goalkeeper Alexander Domínguez shone by denying Sosa a certain goal in the 82nd minute.

Not even the sending off of Ramirez Leon in the final moments prevented Liga de Quito’s celebration, as they move closer to their first Libertadores final since 2008. Meanwhile, Abel Ferreira faces another tough week, adding a second defeat in decisive matches, and will now have to attempt a comeback at Allianz Parque – with the match scheduled for October 31. Before that, Palmeiras still faces Leonardo Jardim’s Cruzeiro in the Brasileirão (10/26).

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