Flaco and Roque star as Palmeiras outclass Vasco again | OneFootball

Another textbook match from Palmeiras and especially from the attacking duo Vitor Roque and Flaco López. The Verdão defeated Vasco 3-0 this Wednesday (1st) at Allianz Parque, with goals precisely from the forwards. Flaco scored two and Roque one – the number 9 even scored his second, but it was disallowed for offside.

Well-executed Goals

Abel Ferreira's team excelled with their tight marking and the pressure they put on Vasco's defense, which had an unfortunate night. Flaco López and Vitor Roque always found space between the defenders and took advantage of the gaps.

It was no surprise that the goal came quickly at Allianz Parque. At 6 minutes, Flaco López took advantage of a sweet pass from Raphael Veiga, dribbled past Lucas Oliveira, and shot firmly into the corner of Léo Jardim. 1-0.

At 17 minutes, Piquerez sent the ball into the area and saw Hugo Moura and Lucas Oliveira get tangled up, leaving it for Flaco to score his second and the game's second. The rout was sealed five minutes later, with a pass from Flaco and a finish by Vitor Roque, making it the third.

At 29 minutes, Verdão even found the net again, but the play was disallowed for offside. Weverton connected with Vitor Roque in midfield. The number 9 beat Lucas Oliveira in a race and physically, blasting it into the back of the net, but in an offside position confirmed by VAR.

Impressive Numbers

In 12 matches since the duo was formed on August 10, in the victory over Ceará by 2-1, Verdão scored 27 goals. During this period, Vitor Roque accumulated nine goals and provided four assists, while Flaco López scored nine goals and two assists.

The change made Vitor Roque improve his performance and increase his numbers. He has already surpassed the number of goal involvements from his time in European football, even with many fewer games. In the victory against Vasco, the number 9 reached 17 direct involvements – 13 goals and four assists in 43 matches – compared to nine goals for Betis and Barcelona without any assists.

As for Flaco López, after being called up for the first time to the Argentine National Team in September, he is starting to dream of a spot in the World Cup. Top scorer for Palmeiras in 2025, with 21 goals, he is one away from matching his best season at the club, when he scored 22 in 2024.

Moreover, López has already reached 26 goal involvements and has a chance to surpass his best career mark. He needs only three more goals and/or assists to match last season's performance – so far, he has played 50 games in 2025 compared to 61 in 2024.

What's Next?

With fewer games compared to their rivals, Palmeiras currently occupies second place, with 52 points, behind Flamengo with 54, and ahead of Cruzeiro with 50. The Cariocas, who will finish the round with one more game than Palmeiras, and the Mineiros, with two more games, face each other this Thursday (2nd) at Maracanã.

Verdão returns to the field for the Brazilian Championship next Sunday (5th) against São Paulo, at Morumbi, for the 27th round of the national competition. The match kicks off at 4 p.m. (Brasília time).

Upcoming Palmeiras Matches

São Paulo vs. Palmeiras – Brazilian Championship – 10/5 (Sunday), 4 p.m. (Brasília time)

Palmeiras vs. Juventude – Brazilian Championship – 10/11 (Saturday), 7 p.m. (Brasília time)

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