Flaco López eyes title with Palmeiras: "Game by game" | OneFootball

Flaco López was decisive in Palmeiras’ 1-0 victory over Novorizontino in the first leg of the Campeonato Paulista final. The Argentine, who is hoping for a call-up to the World Cup with the Argentine national team this year, is aiming to win the State title with Verdão as one of the main protagonists.

Before playing in the final, Flaco López had already stood out for Palmeiras with his performances in the derbies. In the semifinal, he scored one of the goals in the victory over São Paulo. Against Novorizontino, he opened the scoring for Verdão in the 34th minute of the first half.

“I think every game is important for me. I always approach them the same way. Obviously, a final has a special flavor. I just take it game by game. I do things right to be considered for the national team,” he said.

Flaco made his debut for the Argentine national team last year and has been called up twice. For the national team, he has played two games and provided one assist.

Race for the top scorer

The striker is Palmeiras’ top scorer, standing alone with seven goals. Vitor Roque comes next, with six. With this, Flaco is just one goal away from matching Robson and becoming the top scorer of the Campeonato Paulista. He currently shares second place with Rômulo, a midfielder for Novorizontino, on loan from Verdão.

“I’ve fulfilled many dreams here at Palmeiras, but there will always be titles missing. We always want to win and compete for that. Last year, maybe we try to erase it, take the good things and move forward, and this year, God willing, we’ll compete for everything and just win. Win titles,” declared Flaco López.

Situation of the match-up

With this result, Verdão only needs a draw in the second leg, which takes place on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. (Brasília time), at Estádio Jorge Ismael de Biasi, in Novo Horizonte (SP).

Any draw or another Palmeiras win will secure the title for Abel Ferreira’s team. Meanwhile, if Novorizontino wins by one goal, the decision goes to penalties. To take the trophy, Tigre do Vale needs to win by at least 2-0.

Second leg details

Match: Novorizontino vs. Palmeiras Competition: Campeonato Paulista (Final, second leg) Date and time: March 8, 2026 (Sunday), at 8:30 p.m. (Brasília time) Venue: Estádio Dr. Jorge Ismael de Biasi, in Novo Horizonte (SP)

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