Arias wins penalty on Palmeiras Copa do Brasil debut | OneFootball

The forward Jhon Arias made his debut wearing the Palmeiras jersey last Saturday, in the 4-0 victory over Capivariano at Arena Barueri. The win qualified the green-and-white team for the semifinals of the Campeonato Paulista for the 13th consecutive year.

Arias started the match on the bench. He was called by coach Abel Ferreira to enter the field only at the 33rd minute of the second half, replacing Allan. As he stepped onto the pitch, he was cheered and lifted the Palmeiras fans in the stands.

Even with little time on the field, the Colombian showcased his credentials and showed he can make a difference. At the 44th minute, he invaded the area, made a sharp cut on Capivariano's midfielder, and was brought down, earning a penalty for Palmeiras. Andreas Pereira converted the penalty.

The player operated more on the right side of the attack. In total, he had 12 minutes to showcase his skills in the match. According to data provided by Sofascore, he had six actions with the ball, won one ground duel, and completed all five passes he attempted.

“Good headache”

In a press conference after the game, Abel Ferreira celebrated Jhon Arias' debut and described the arrival of the forward as a “headache” for the coach to solve. Currently, the Portuguese coach has three winger options for the flanks: Arias, Allan, and Felipe Anderson, in addition to Luighi and Sosa, who can also play the position. Paulinho is still recovering from surgery on his right leg.

“This headache is very good for me. It's always easier when you have high-level players. I am very happy to have these players for the position, we need that. With Felipe Anderson's return, we are well served on the wings. He [Arias] is a player who will help us, you saw the calm he has and how he earned that penalty. These are good options, and I am grateful to have these players at my disposal,” commented Abel.

(Photo: Cesar Greco/Palmeiras)

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Libertadores champion with Fluminense, Arias arrives at Palmeiras with high expectations. The club spent 25 million euros (about R$ 154 million) to bring him from Wolverhampton, England. His stint with the English team was lackluster: only two goals and one assist in 26 games, 17 of which he started.

Heading to the semis

Already qualified, Palmeiras awaits the other two quarter-final matches, scheduled for this Sunday, to know their opponent in the Paulistão semifinal. The next phase is set to be played next weekend. The matchups will be defined based on the teams' accumulated points.

Next Palmeiras game

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