Palmeiras aim to break through Libertadores’ top defence | OneFootball

Owner of the best attack in the Copa Libertadores, Palmeiras is looking for ways to be even more offensive and is betting on the ‘Flaco-Roque’ duo to overturn a three-goal deficit and advance to the final of the continental competition. Verdão faces LDU this Thursday at 9:30 PM (Brasília time) at Allianz Parque.

Palmeiras was defeated 3-0 in the first leg and needs a heroic comeback to qualify for the Libertadores final. Alviverde needs a 4-0 rout to advance in regular time. If the aggregate score is tied, the finalist will be decided by penalties.

However, the Palmeiras team will not have an easy task to overturn the score. Coach Abel Ferreira’s men will face the best defense among the Copa Libertadores semifinalists. LDU has shown great collective strength and managed to keep a clean sheet in the first leg.

In 11 matches, the Ecuadorian team has conceded only five goals in the current edition of the continental tournament, with an average of less than 0.45 per game. Furthermore, throughout the season, LDU has been breached 39 times in 46 matches. Breaking through the rival defense, therefore, will be one of Palmeiras’ main challenges.

On the other hand, what renews Verdão’s hopes is the fact that all five goals conceded by LDU in the Libertadores were away from home—and this Thursday, LDU will visit Allianz Parque.

Verdão also boasts the best attack in the Libertadores, with 26 goals in 11 matches. Palmeiras is betting on the recent success of the ‘Flaco-Roque’ duo. Since they started playing together, the number 9 has scored 13 goals and provided four assists, while the Argentine has 11 goals and three assists.

The clash also features a duel of top scorers

In addition to the attack-versus-defense battle, the match between Palmeiras and LDU will also feature a duel of Libertadores top scorers. On one side, Alviverde has Flaco López available, while the Ecuadorian team counts on the Argentine Alzugaray.

Flaco López is the top scorer of the Libertadores, with seven goals in ten matches. The Argentine found the net in the group stage against Bolívar-BOL, Sporting Cristal-PER, and Universitario-PER. In the knockout stage, he was decisive in the quarterfinals, scoring two goals in the second leg against River Plate.

The number 42 now hopes to repeat his performance this Thursday against LDU. In the first match, alongside his strike partner Vitor Roque, he failed to score. It’s worth noting that Flaco is Palmeiras’ top scorer of the season, with 23 goals.

On the other side, LDU is not far behind in terms of goals. The Ecuadorian team has Argentine Lisandro Alzugaray, who has scored five goals in 11 Libertadores matches. The 35-year-old forward was one of those who punished Palmeiras in the second leg.

Allan battling for the ball with Alzugaray in the first leg (Photo: Cesar Greco/Palmeiras)

Upcoming Palmeiras matches

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