Palmeiras shine with Vitor Roque, earn breathing space in Brasileirão | OneFootball

By Thais Bueno

Palmeiras is more of a leader than ever in the Brazilian Championship and, to top it off, has also sunk a rival into the relegation zone. The Verdão relied on an inspired Vitor Roque and asserted themselves by defeating Santos 2-0 at Allianz Parque, in the 32nd round of the national tournament. The home team gained a good 'cushion' in the standings, opening a three-point lead over Flamengo.

Verdão took the field with the same scheme used recently. Defensively, the team presents a line of four. With possession and in the offensive construction phase, Emiliano Martínez would drop back and act as a third defender, freeing the wing-backs to attack on the flanks. The classic started at full steam at Allianz Parque.

The alviverde team began the match imposing their rhythm and controlling ball possession. Gabriel Brazão was forced to make two good saves early in the game, from shots by Mauricio and Piquerez, both from outside the area. The Palmeiras team showed great speed in transitions and built plays that involved Santos' defense.

By pressing high, Palmeiras conceded some – albeit few – spaces for Santos' counterattacks, poorly exploited by the attackers. Verdão, on the other hand, found many spaces behind the Peixe defenders and created great chances of danger. However, they faltered in some decision-making and also in efficiency.

From the 30th minute, the classic became more balanced. Santos started to create more dangerous plays, mainly with the participation of Zé Rafael and Robinho Júnior. The alviverde defense, in turn, held up well, and Carlos Miguel barely got his uniform dirty.

In summary, the first half was dominated by Palmeiras. However, Verdão did not capitalize on the opportunities created, and Santos managed to waste time as much as they could. In defense, the alviverde team had a few scares, but goalkeeper Carlos Miguel was not called into action at any point. The impression is that, with a bit more precision, Palmeiras could have opened the scoring in the first half.

Second Half

Just like in the first half, Palmeiras started the second half by pressing Santos and came very close to opening the scoring. Bruno Fuchs appeared alone in the middle of the area and headed at point-blank range, but Gabriel Brazão made a great save and prevented Verdão's goal. The team, however, almost conceded a spectacular bicycle kick goal when disorganized in defense, but Gustavo Gómez cleared it off the line and saved the day.

With the game more open, the match became end-to-end, with fast breaks from both Palmeiras and Santos. Verdão continued to have more possession, but Peixe appeared more alert and active. Despite this, the home team kept 'bombarding' Brazão, who responded with good saves.

In search of victory, Abel Ferreira made changes to the team and got the substitutions right. The entries of Allan, Felipe Anderson, and especially Veiga gave the team more energy and offensiveness, launching into attack in search of the goal. And it was in the 21st minute that Palmeiras finally managed to overcome Brazão and, at last, opened the scoring – deservedly – at Allianz Parque. The 'Flaco-Roque' duo proved lethal once again, with the Argentine providing a great assist for the Brazilian, who dribbled past the goalkeeper and simply completed it into the net.

With the goal scored, Palmeiras seemed to have lifted a weight off their shoulders. Moreover, Santos, needing at least a draw, opened up more, conceding spaces for Verdão's counterattacks. It was in one of these that Vitor Roque was launched at speed and went one-on-one with Brazão, lobbing the Peixe goalkeeper and sealing the alviverde victory.

Despite the lack of effectiveness in the first half, Palmeiras knew how to dominate the rival in the classic and showed why they are fighting for the Série A title. The team imposed their rhythm at home and adapted to the different moments of the game. They also opened a good advantage over Flamengo, who lost two points in the round. The victory against Santos, therefore, is a reason for double celebration: not only for the result but also for the performance.

Standings Situation

With the result, Palmeiras not only maintained their lead in the Brasileirão but also opened a three-point advantage over Flamengo, the competition's runner-up. Verdão reached 68 points, while the Carioca team has 65. The Alviverde also achieved their third consecutive victory across all competitions.

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