[Sport] An agonizing header by Breno Lopes gives the Copa Libertadores title to Palmeiras

[#Steeven.™]

Palmeiras, with a goal from Breno Lopes in addition, when everyone was preparing for extra time at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, beat Santos 1-0 in the final of the Copa Libertadores and won their second title continental.

Verdao, who had been Libertadores champions in 1999, ended Santos's dream of claiming their fourth Libertadores title and becoming the Brazilian club with the most continental cups.

In a match where Santos held the ball most of the time, Palmeiras had more chances to score and did not miss the last one, when Breno Lopes, who had entered ten minutes earlier, scored with a splendid header. It was Lopes' second goal with Palmeiras and the first in a Libertadores.

The title classifies Palmeiras to the Club World Cup to be held this year in Qatar, in which they will face Tigres from Mexico or Ulsan from South Korea.

In a final with only 500 fans in the stands of the Maracana, special guests of both clubs, the Palmeiras title ends an atypical Libertadores due to the covid pandemic, in which the matches were played without an audience.

 

A VERY BLOCKED PARTY
Santos began pressing from the first minute, especially on the right side, whereby the Para side joined the Marinho point, which the Uruguayan Matías Viña had difficulties to tackle.

It was precisely Pará, who last year played some Libertadores games with champion Flamengo, who made the first dangerous shot before the first five minutes.

But nervousness took account of both clubs and friction, discussions and even fouls were repeated - eight in fifteen minutes -, which truncated the game and moved the ball away from the goals. There were few scoring opportunities in the first half.

Santos was the clear dominator in the first half, with almost 65% control of the ball, thanks to the fact that he decided to value the passes and exits with the Venezuelan Yeferson Soteldo on the left and Marinho on the right, both very well marked.

Palmeiras preferred to play counterattacks always looking for Luiz Adriano in advance.

But Santos' dominance did not translate into dangerous plays and goalkeeper Weverton had to intervene a few times in the first half. And while the Santistas had only two finishes in the first 45 minutes, the Palmeirenses added five.

In the second half, with no modifications to the teams, Palmeiras began to shake off Santos' dominance and move closer to the goal defended by John.

Santos maintained their strategy of dominating the ball and multiplying short passes, but the Palmeirenses once again had the greatest number of scoring opportunities.

At 18 of the second half, Raphael Veiga charged a foul far from the area and almost opened the scoring with a ball that went over the crossbar. A minute later Luiz Adriano almost managed to get rid of his marker in a counterattack. And then Raphael Veiga crashed the ball into a post in a play that had already been suspended by the referee.

 

EXPULSION FROM CUCA
With Santos dominating but without creating danger and Palmeiras giving scares in a row, coach Cuca, who had started the game with three flyers, finally sacrificed one to give in to creative Lucas Braga.

Santos immediately had his clearest opportunities, with a play inside the area and a shot from Pituca that forced Weverton to demand himself and a shot from afar from Felipe Jonatan that went over the goal.

Lucas Braga himself starred in another invasion of the Palmeiras area that was concluded by Soteldo with a directionless crossing.

In the last minutes of the second half, with a still high temperature and the players already resigned to extra time, Santos began to touch the ball but without threatening.

But in the last regulation minute, Marinho assisted Kaio Jorge who completed with a Chilean but Weverton was attentive to the play.

In the added minutes, Cuca was sent off as he prevented a Palmeiras player from taking the wing quickly. A minute later Breno Lopes scored the title goal and prevented the game from being defined in extra time.

 

DATA SHEET
1. Palmeiras: Weverton; Marcos Rocha, Luan, Gustavo Gómez and Matías Viña; Danilo, Zé Rafael (Patrick de Paula, m.78), Gabriel Menino (Breno Lopes, m.85), Raphael Veiga (Alan Empereur, m.90 + 12); Rony (Felipe Melo, m.90 + 12) and Luiz Adriano.

0. Santos: John; Pará, Luan Peres, Lucas Veríssimo, Felipe Jonatan (Wellington, m.90 + 3); Alison, Sandry (Lucas Braga, m.73), Diego Pituca; Marinho, Kaio Jorge (Madson, m.90 + 3) and Yeferson Soteldo.

Goal: 1-0, m.90 + 9: Breno Lopes.

Referee: Argentine Patricio Loustau expelled coach Cuca and cautioned Lucas Veríssimo, Gustavo Gómez, Matías Viña, Diego Pituca, Soteldo, Marcos Rocha, Breno Lopes and Alison with yellow.

Incidents: Match for the final of the Copa Libertadores played at the Maracaná stadium in Rio de Janeiro before 500 fans, among relatives of the players and fans who received special invitations