Palmeiras face changes on the right flank, Allan steps up in season run-in | OneFootball

Abel Ferreira's lineup last Thursday (30), in the second leg of the Libertadores semifinal against LDU, included some surprises that helped the team in the historic comeback of Palmeiras. Among the new faces in the starting lineup was Allan, who stood out on the right wing, a position still undecided for the end of the season.

Playing on the right side of the attack, the versatile player brought speed and set a pace with many dribbles and boldness, but also tracked back and helped in defense – after all, the Verdão entered without a natural right-back, with Khellven and Giay on the bench.

This is another episode for Palmeiras' right side this season, which experienced different moments throughout 2025. If at the beginning of the year the position was considered one of the team's certainties, with Mayke and Marcos Rocha taking the right-back and Estêvão as the undisputed starter on the wing, the scenario changed completely, especially after the Club World Cup.

On the right-back, Giay took over shortly before the World Cup and later lost the spot to Khellven, signed in August. In attack, the sale of the young talent opened a significant gap and forced Abel Ferreira to seek new offensive alternatives for the position.

The duo Mayke and Rocha lost space, while Agustín Giay and Khellven began to compete for the position in the last rounds. Meanwhile, various players were tested further forward to occupy the role that was Estêvão's. Facundo Torres played in a good part of the games right after the World Cup but couldn't establish himself. Raphael Veiga also played this role at certain moments, as did Maurício, who gained opportunities in recent matches – on Thursday, the number 18 played more centrally but drifted to the right along with Allan.

In recent weeks, Abel Ferreira started using Allan open on the right side, and the midfielder, who traditionally plays more centrally, began to emerge as the coach's new bet for that area of the field.

Considered one of the most versatile players in the group, the athlete's characteristics have drawn attention in 2025. The versatility, highly valued by Abel Ferreira, is one of his main virtues, as he plays as an attacking midfielder, left winger, and even a second midfielder, taking on more than one role since his professional debut.

Renewal in the last transfer window

In the Club World Cup in July, Allan was on the field in four out of the five matches and even assisted Paulinho's goal against Inter Miami. He was a starter in the team's last two games in the tournament – Botafogo and Chelsea – and finished the competition as one of the highlights.

Allan's contract was extended in June, before the World Cup, until December 31, 2029. The renewal is the first with the main team but is not unprecedented in the young player's career. In December 2024, Palmeiras had agreed to a contract renewal until the end of 2027, with a release clause of 100 million euros for foreign teams – about R$ 600 million.

Allan has been with the club since 2019 and played for the Under-20 team for the last three years, with the best performance in 2024: 17 goals in 43 games.

Upcoming Palmeiras matches

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