Vasco fight back to beat Palmeiras, move out of relegation zone | OneFootball

The cauldron boiled, the taboo crumbled, and the comeback team reemerged on the night of this Thursday (12th). Vasco defeated Palmeiras 2-1 at São Januário, ending a 14-year drought without home victories over the São Paulo team and climbed out of the relegation zone of the Brazilian Championship.

+ Vasco's coach compares the cauldron to Bombonera and calls for support: “We need to take advantage of this strength”

The Game

The duel began at high speed on the historic hill. The cross-maltese squad pressed in the opening minutes and posed a real threat with corner kicks. The opposing team relied on fast counterattacks and waited for mistakes from the home team. As the first half was heading towards a goalless draw, forward Flaco López cut inside to his left foot at the 40th minute and hit the top corner of goalkeeper Léo Jardim, opening the score.

The Rio team left the field to boos at halftime, but coach Renato Gaúcho acted quickly in the locker room. He took out the full-back Lucas Piton and brought in Cuiabano for the second half. The substitution completely changed the team's tactical posture and intensity, turning the tension in the stands into unconditional support.

The offensive pressure quickly suffocated the green-and-white defensive system. At 18 minutes into the second half, midfielder and captain Thiago Mendes, pointed out as one of the best players on the field, found the net and equalized the match. The cross-maltese coach also brought in Rojas and Adson in place of Tchê Tchê and Nuno Moreira.

The goal cornered the Palmeiras team, led by assistant João Martins, who made changes by bringing in Luighi and Allan.

Thiago Mendes equalized for Vasco – Photo: Matheus Lima / Vasco da Gama

Vasco's Historic Comeback

Superior in ball possession and physical intensity, the comeback didn't take long to happen. At 29 minutes, full-back Paulo Henrique invaded the penalty area and crossed the ball perfectly for Cuiabano. The star of the second half just pushed it into the empty net, sealing the 2-1 score and sending the fans into ecstasy.

In the final minutes, control of the actions remained with the hosts. The São Paulo rival threatened only in injury time, when Allan had a chance to equalize but was stopped by a crucial save from Léo Jardim.

The whistle from referee Sávio Pereira Sampaio confirmed the three points that lifted the Rio institution out of the drop zone and, in the process, knocked the visiting club off the top of the tournament, a position now occupied by São Paulo.

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