Palmeiras vs Botafogo: Quarterfinals Qualification – Olé

And Palmeiras took revenge. Abel Ferreira’s team beat Botafogo in a duel loaded with intensity, tension and South American football in its purest form and got into the quarterfinals of the Club World Cup. It was a game with a lot of rubbing, worthy of a cross between Brazilians: the kicks were not missing to cut the game, duels to the limit or constant protests. The referee, far from stopping that rhythm, chose to let.

From the first minute, Palmeiras took the initiative. He dominated possession, insistently attacked by the bands, pressed Alto and pushed Botafogo against his field. Despite his prominence, he ran into the wall of John, the archer of the Fogão, undisputed figure of the match. Already in the second half he had saved his arc with key saves: a distant shot of Estevão, a header at the moment of Mauricio and several interventions that kept his team alive.

The 0-0 stretched until the end of the regulatory time, and the party went to the extended. Palmeiras, faithful to his style, never stopped trying. And he found his prize with a true goal that broke the zero: Ríos, again the protagonist, recovered a ball in the middle of the court, turned intelligence and leaked a precise pass for Paulinho. The striker, located at the vertex of the area, controlled, hooked to leave Marlon Freitas on the road and defined Cruzado, to the second stick, leaving John without chances. Goal and relief.

After 1-0, Botafogo reacted with pride and went determined to look for the tie. He had two clear chances: first an artur auction that passed close, and then a good center behind Joaquín Correa that crossed the entire area without anyone managing to push it.

Abel Ferreira’s team was always looking for him. He did not speculate, he did not despair, and found his prize. With character, patience and quality, Palmeiras got among the eight best in the world and was glad to overcome Botafogo, the same rival who had eliminated him in the last Copa Libertadores. Consumed rematch.