the two-time champion palm trees rescued a 2-2 draw on the hour in his visit this Wednesday to Atletico Mineiro in Belo Horizonte, in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the Libertadores Cup 2022.
The ‘Verdão’ of the Portuguese Abel Ferreira embittered the return to Mineirão of Alexi Stival “Cuca”, the most successful coach in the history of the ‘Galo’, by equalizing in stoppage time with a goal from Danilo (90+2).
“We are used to playoffs, to big games,” said the midfielder. The Brazilian champion had gone ahead with a goal from Hulk from the white point (45 + 1) and an own goal from defender Murilo (47), who redeemed himself from his misfortune by making it 2-1 in the 59th minute.
“The draw is frustrating. We generated quite a few (goal options), but we couldn’t finish,” Hulk said. Although they interrupted their triumphal march (they had won the previous eight games), the paulistas came out of Belo Horizonte in good standing and will define the pass to the semis next Wednesday in Sao Paulo.
The winner will crash against the winner of the key between Athletico Paranaense (BRA) and Students (ARG).
break the drought
Cuca thought he responded as the primer dictates to the idyll exhibited by the ‘torcedores’ on his return to Mineirão, which he had not stepped on since his surprise exit at the end of last season, the most winning of the ‘Galo’ (Brasileirao,
Copa do Brasil and Mineiro Championship). The scenario of his return seemed like a déjà vú from his last game in the main club tournament in America. In that September he also faced Palmeiras and Hulk took a penalty. But at the moment there are at least a couple of differences: in 2021 they collided in the semis, defeated by the Paulistas, ultimately two-time champions, and the gunner this time scored from the white point.
Shirt 7 took revenge this Wednesday for that blunder that deprived Mineiro of aspiring to its second Libertadores title with a creeping shot to the left post by Weverton. The penalty, decreed for an offense by winger Marcos Rocha on midfielder Jair, also allowed him to reconcile with the goal after five drought games and made him the Albinegro’s all-time top scorer in Libertadores (12 goals).
His teammates accompanied him in the celebration, in solidarity and at the same time relieved that someone finally brought down the emerald fence after several wasted chances, especially at the feet of Keno (17) and Ademir (31).
stock weapon
The jubilation in the celebration was justified, as they hit a team that before the initial whistle had barely conceded three goals in eight games, scored a perfect score and dragged the record of 19 cup games without losing as a visitor.
Mineiro shook off the bad walk in the Brasileirao (seventh, ten points behind the leader
Palmeiras) and seemed closer to scoring than Palmeiras to equalizing thanks to Cuca winning the tactical pulse over Ferreira by avoiding the deadly Palmeiras counterattacks and suffocating them in their own area.
The trap led to an overflow of Keno on the left. Before the ball went out, the attacker launched a killer pass that Murilo converted to make it 2-0. But the own goal acted as a shock for the paulistas, who were quickly shaken through a repertoire weapon: the stopped ball. Gustavo Scarpa crashed a free kick off Everson’s crossbar, with such good luck that the ball was served at the feet of Murilo, who pushed it to redeem himself from his own goal blunder.
And then, in one of the last actions of the electrifying game, Scarpa took a corner that Danilo made equal and a lesson: the two-time champion should never be left for dead.
AFP
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