January 05, 2021 – 21:37
AFP Agency
The Brazilian Palmeiras defeated Argentine River Plate 3-0 (partially 1-0) as a visitor in the first stage of the semifinals of the 2020 Libertadores Cup played on Tuesday at the Independiente stadium in Avellaneda (southern outskirts of Buenos Aires).
Rony (26), Luiz Adriano (46) and Matías Viña (61) scored goals for Verdao, who extended their unbeaten run so far in Libertadores, while River ended the game with ten players for the expulsion of Colombian midfielder Jorge Carrascal (59), for a strong foul on Gabriel Menino.
Thus, Palmeiras arrives with a big difference in front of the revenge that will be played on Tuesday, January 12 at Allianz Parque in Sao Paulo and will qualify for the next stage even with a 2-0 loss.
The winner of this series will meet in the final on January 30 at the Maracana with the winner of the other semifinal, which the Argentineans Boca Juniors and the Brazilian Santos will cheer for tomorrow, Wednesday.
Error
As expected, River was the one who took control of the game from the beginning, with a dynamic proposal and a continuous search for wings, with the growths of Casco and, to a greater extent, of Montiel.
Coming in from the left wing, that cross by Matías Suárez found the head of Carrías and he directed it in. Making the score 1 – 0.
The Palmeiras plan was soon exposed, I decided to wait for River in his field and I bet on open balls for Rony and Gustavo Scarpa, open at the ends to try to capitalize on the spaces left by the local.
After 20 minutes, Montiel came in from the right, feinted, then sped past the off-balance defender to put away the 1 – 0 goal, giving Borré the lead.
Palmeiras’s response came shortly after Gabriel Menino sent a cross from the right, the goalkeeper Armani did not understand the cover with Robert Rojas, wiped short and in a hurry, and the ball was served to Rony, who immediately looked for the right corner and scored, after a slight detour to De la Cruz.
River felt the impact and was on the verge of increasing “Verdao” with a goal canceled out correctly to Gustavo Scarpa for a millimeter offside, in a sign that the São Paulo team, with much less possession, could be much more dangerous than his rival.
The local tried a slight improvement at the end of the first half, in a play in which Suárez and Borré failed to connect a closed center, and Nacho Fernández broke the crossbar in a free kick.
Decision
But the game certainly changed hands in the second half, with a lively, intelligent and squatting Palmeiras, who took note of every mistake and exploited every opportunity to the fullest.
Rony’s counterattacks created a good chance for Luiz Adriano on the right, but he could only look on with dismay as his strike rebounded off the crossbar. increase distances.
The game was even more open, with a River that managed to reduce to a header of Borré that Weverton removed with effort and to a forehead of Carrascal that brushed the cross.
Frustrated, Carrascal got angry and kicked Gabriel Menino, for whom he saw the red card directly, and from the free kick of the action came the third goal of the visitor, with a great left center of Gustavo Scarpa in which Matías Viña raised his head to get the ball out of Armani’s hands.
Half an hour remained, but all that was missing was in favor of Palmeiras, who could have grown with a cross from Breno’s right hand and a counterattack from Gabriel Menino that forced an excellent save from the River goalkeeper.
Surprised and puzzled, the red team showed its worst face at the least favorable moment, with a series of mistakes that Palmeiras made to pay dearly and so the Brazilian team took a huge step on the road to the final, in looking for the fifth final and to pick up the trophy he won for the only time almost 22 years ago, in 1999.
Tomorrow Wednesday.