Palmeiras work magic in 90 minutes, reach Copa Libertadores final | OneFootball

By Victória Romanelli

It is a fact that a 3-0 score in the first leg of a Libertadores semifinal would make things difficult for the team at a disadvantage in the return match. But that's not what happened with Palmeiras. On Thursday night, Abel Ferreira's team took to the field as if the score was zero and played freely to achieve a 4-0 victory over LDU, overcoming the deficit and advancing to the final of the Libertadores.

The night at Allianz Parque featured the return of Raphael Veiga's decisive power, as he scored two goals. Ramón Sosa and Bruno Fuchs scored the other two goals. A surprise in the lineup, midfielder Allan shone and played as if he were one of the most experienced on the field.

Palmeiras' history in the Abel Ferreira era, with comebacks and historic matches, meant no one threw in the towel after the major setback suffered in Quito, Ecuador. After the negative result, the coach released a "mantra" that "90 minutes at Allianz Parque is a long time." Then, he asked the fans to prepare for a "magical night," which was enough to further ignite the crowd, who supported the team from start to finish.

With the favorable external environment, it was up to the 16 players plus Abel Ferreira to deliver the expected response. The initial lineup was a surprise, with a 3-5-2: Carlos Miguel; Gómez, Fuchs, and Murilo; Allan, Andreas Pereira, Mauricio, Sosa, and Piquerez; Flaco López and Vitor Roque.

Abel went for "all or nothing"…

Going for all or nothing, Abel fielded a very offensive team, with Allan on the right and Sosa on the left of the attack. From early on, Palmeiras showed that the 90 minutes would be long and pressed LDU from the start. With a well-marked defense, unlike what happened in Quito, Verdão suffocated the rival, who could barely exchange passes.

… and it worked

Palmeiras showed some anxiety to open the scoring and had already missed a chance when they finally made it 1-0 at 19 minutes into the first half. Allan crossed into the area, and Sosa headed the ball into the back of the net. In a first half dominated by Palmeiras, Bruno Fuchs took advantage of a rebound in the area and made it 2-0 before the break to boost confidence and ignite Allianz Parque.

Abel Ferreira made his changes in the second half, bringing in Raphael Veiga, Felipe Anderson, Giay, and Khellven for Sosa, Mauricio, Fuchs, and Allan. As soon as he entered the field, Veiga showed he was inspired. At 22 minutes, he made a good play with Vitor Roque, received the ball back in the area, and scored 3-0 for Palmeiras. Before leaving the field, Allan was fouled for a penalty after a play that left the defense on the ground. Veiga took the penalty and sealed the final score: 4-0.

Palmeiras breaks taboo and reaches seventh Libertadores final

With the result, Palmeiras returned to the Libertadores final after four years and broke the drought of not winning semifinals at Allianz Parque with Abel Ferreira. Additionally, they achieved their first comeback in the Libertadores under the coach's command.

"I love hearing when, oh, it never happened, no one ever did it. I think it's great, it's a challenge, it's fuel for us. Whether we will succeed or not, I don't know, but I look at this not as something impossible, but as a challenge you can overcome. Of course, you can lose. Of course, we know how demanding football is," said Abel.

Next Palmeiras match

Finally, now Palmeiras returns to focus on the Brazilian Championship before thinking about the Libertadores final against Flamengo, scheduled for November 29, in Peru.

Juventude vs. Palmeiras Competition: Brazilian Championship (31st round) Date: November 2, 2025 (Sunday) Time: 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.