Palmeiras shine in first half, beat River Plate at Monumental | OneFootball

The more than 80,000 fans at the Monumental de Nuñez in Buenos Aires, Argentina, did not intimidate the Palmeiras team, which defeated River Plate on Wednesday night (17th) by 2-1 in the first leg of the Libertadores quarterfinals. Gustavo Gómez and Vitor Roque scored the goals for Palmeiras. Martínez Quarta scored for the Argentine team.

Now, Abel Ferreira's team can even draw in the return match, which will be played next Wednesday (24th) at 9:30 PM (Brasília time) at Allianz Parque, securing their place in the semifinals. A defeat by one goal difference will take the decision to penalties.

One-Team Show

Palmeiras dominated River Plate from the first minutes at the Monumental de Nuñez.

It didn't take long for the ball to hit the net. After five minutes, Andreas Pereira took a precise corner kick to Gustavo Gómez's head, who opened the scoring.

Abel Ferreira's team controlled the pace even with the lead. Khellven forced Armani to make a good save, Andreas took a dangerous free kick, and Lucas Evangelista, in another corner, hit the post at 19 minutes.

Palmeiras extended the lead at 40 minutes, in a play by the duo Flaco López and Vitor Roque. The Argentine left the number 9 in front of the goal. He calmly scored past Armani. 2-0 at halftime.

Intense Second Half

River Plate tried to speed up the game at all costs but seemed rushed. Palmeiras, on the other hand, lost their initial momentum and saw the home team have their best moment in the match.

Despite River Plate's greater ball possession, Palmeiras didn't face major scares. The Argentine team had chances with balls crossed into the area. At 18 minutes, Weverton got into trouble with a ball clearance and almost conceded a goal.

The number 21 would be involved in the major incident of the second half. At 34 minutes, the referee reviewed the clash between Weverton and Montiel in Palmeiras' area. The Venezuelan referee decided that Weverton committed a penalty, but before the contact, the right-back was in an offside position. Therefore, the final decision: no penalty.

At 44 minutes, Martínez Quarta scored with a shot from outside the area that deflected off Piquerez, leaving Weverton helpless. In stoppage time, the home team pressed but couldn't find more luck.

Palmeiras, in turn, saw their first-half superiority crumble in the second half. Unable to attack – with only one shot – they came out with only one goal conceded.

What's Next?

Now, Abel Ferreira's team can even draw in the return match, which will be played next Wednesday (24th) at 9:30 PM (Brasília time) at Allianz Parque, securing their place in the semifinals. A defeat by one goal difference will take the decision to penalties.

Before the return match, Palmeiras will face Fortaleza in the Brazilian Championship at Allianz Parque on Saturday (20th) at 9 PM (Brasília time). Palmeiras is third in the national tournament, with 46 points – Cruzeiro has 47 (with two more games) and Flamengo 50 (with one more game).

Match Details

River Plate 1-2 Palmeiras

Location: Monumental de Nuñez, Buenos Aires (ARG)Date and time: September 17, 2025, Wednesday, 9:30 PM (Brasília time)Referee: Jesus Valenzuela (VEN)Assistants: Jorge Urrego (VEN) and Tulio Moreno (VEN)VAR:  Juan Soto (VEN)Yellow cards: P. Díaz, Acuña, Rivero, and Montiel (RIV); Lucas Evangelista, Aníbal, Weverton, and Facundo Torres (PAL)Goals: Gustavo Gómez (0-1 at 6’/1st Half), Vitor Roque (0-2, at 41’/1st Half); Martinez Quarta (1-2, at 44/2nd Half).

RIVER PLATE: Armani; Pablo Díaz (Martinez Quarta, at halftime), Portillo, and Rivero; Montiel, Enzo Pérez (Quintero, at halftime), Nacho Fernández (Lencina, at 32/2nd Half), Castaño, and Acuña; Driussi (Colido, at 12/2nd Half) and Salas (Borja, at 32/2nd Half). Coach: Marcelo Gallardo.

PALMEIRAS: Weverton; Khellven, Gustavo Gómez, Murilo, and Piquerez; Aníbal Moreno (Emi Martinez, at 25/2nd Half), Lucas Evangelista (Bruno Fuchs, at 35/2nd Half), Andreas Pereira (Raphael Veiga, at 27/2nd Half), and Felipe Anderson (Allan, at 35/2nd Half); Flaco López and Vitor Roque (Facundo Torres, at 27/2nd Half). Coach: Abel Ferreira

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