Raphael Veiga one goal from being Palmeiras’ Libertadores top scorer | OneFootball

Raphael Veiga shone in Palmeiras' qualification to the final of the Libertadores. The Palmeiras idol came off the bench and scored two goals to complete the 4-0 rout over LDU at Allianz Parque, in the second leg of the semifinal. With these two goals, he is just one goal away from becoming the club's top scorer in the continental competition.

The midfielder has a total of 22 goals in the Libertadores, trailing only Rony, who scored 23 during his time at Palmeiras. Completing the top 5 are Gustavo Gómez (14 goals), Alex and Gustavo Scarpa (12 goals each), and Flaco López (10 goals).

Veiga's goals against LDU

Raphael Veiga started the match against LDU on the bench and was brought on by Abel Ferreira in the 19th minute of the second half, replacing Ramón Sosa. In his first involvement in the game, he took a direct free kick that forced the goalkeeper to make a save. Four minutes later, he found the net in a play he initiated himself.

At the 39th minute, he converted a penalty won by Allan, sealing the final score of the match. The midfielder, who has had an unstable season, once again demonstrated his decisive power to secure Palmeiras' spot in the Libertadores final.

Abel praises Veiga's performance and highlights the midfielder's importance

“He is very important to us, not only in terms of the team's dynamics, because he is a player who can score, a player who, when motivated, performs well, and sometimes you have to figure out which button to press for him to deliver. And today he helped us a lot coming off the bench. I am very grateful to have a man like him with us. It's good for him,” he said.

The coach recalled the first leg where he started with Veiga in the lineup but took him off at halftime to adjust the team, which was struggling. Abel revealed that the number 23 was upset with him and must have been angry after coming on and scoring the two goals.

“He was one of those who suffered because I substituted him. He spent two or three days upset with me, but parents and children sometimes get upset too, but he knows I have great affection and love for him. It's something that transcends football, but when I have to decide, I put that aside. I'm sure he was upset with me, called me everything, wanted to have played, but as I’ve already told you, there are many ways we have to help, whether starting or coming on. He is one of the players who helps us a lot here,” he continued.

Veiga's season at Palmeiras

This season, Raphael Veiga has scored seven goals and provided eight assists in 48 matches played, 26 as a starter. The number 23, who has been a key player in Abel Ferreira's starting lineup in recent years, saw competition grow within the squad and had a year hindered by pubic pain.

Veiga is coming off a sequence of eight games, five as a starter. During this period, he scored three goals and provided one assist.

Next Palmeiras match

Juventude vs. Palmeiras Competition: Brazilian Championship (31st round) Date and time: November 2, 2025 (Sunday), at 6:30 PM (Brasília time) Location: Alfredo Jaconi Stadium, in Caxias do Sul

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