In a balanced duel in the round of 16, Palmeiras overcame Atlético-MG and secured itself in the next phase of the Libertadores knockout stage
O palm trees is in the quarterfinals of the Libertadores. Last Wednesday, the 9th, alviverde tied for zero to zero against Atlético-MG, at Allianz Parque, and guaranteed a place in the next phase of the continental competition. With the 1-0 triumph in the first leg, at Mineirão, Verdão arrived with an equality advantage for the duel in São Paulo.
Shortly after the match, coach Abel Ferreira gave a press conference and was happy with Verdão’s performance. On the other hand, the Portuguese vented when evaluating a possible elimination in the round of 16. According to him, Brazilian football causes a crisis in almost all clubs in the face of pressure for results.
“Our opponent only had two days of recovery, and I don’t think it’s fair. This is an advantage, we had this advantage, and that game began to be won in the match against Fluminense. Not today, but against Fluminense. I didn’t think that result was fair, not today either. I thought we had to win, but football is efficiency“, assessed Abel Ferreira during the press conference.
“The amount of opportunities we had, we should have scored more goals, but that’s football. Congratulations to Atlético, to Felipão, but our team has shown that we are extremely competitive. If we didn’t pass, we would be in crisis. The only team in Brazil that is not in crisis is Botafogo. Let’s get through this, we already did this year“, completed the coach of Palmeiras.
“I tell my players a lot that defending has to do with character and commitment, and attacking has to do with organization. The coach’s mission is to teach the players the game, tactics. Tactics is up to the coach, physics is up to the players, and mental is 50/50. Players have to run well without the ball. Today, if you allow me, I refuse to speak only about these two players“
Now, Palmeiras will face Deportivo Pereira, from Colombia, in the quarterfinals of the Libertadores. The Colombian team eliminated the Independiente del Valle, also last Wednesday. With the best overall campaign in the group stage, alviverde will decide the match at home.
Source: sportbuzz
I am William Jackson and I have a passion for sports journalism. With over 3 years of experience in the industry, I have worked in a variety of roles to improve the quality and accuracy of sports news coverage. As an author at Athletistic, I specialize in covering football news and providing comprehensive analysis for fans around the world.
