Palmeiras, two-time champion of the Copa Libertadores, defeated Egyptian Al-Ahly 2-0 this Wednesday in Abu Dhabi and advanced to the final of the Club World Cup being played in the United Arab Emirates and, incidentally, took revenge for the defeat suffered in the previous edition against the African champion.
Raphael Veiga and Dudú, who also exchanged assists, scored the goals for Palmeiras, a team that thus took revenge for the defeat a year against the same rival in the dispute for third place in the Club World Cup 2020, but which was held in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The “Verdao” of Sao Paulo thus awaits the winner of the other semifinal that the British will play this Wednesday in the final next Saturday Chelsea from London, champion of the European Champions League, and the Saudi Al-Hilal, champion of Asia and who beat host Al-Jazira in the Emirati 1-6 in the quarterfinals.
FromAt the start of the match, the Brazilian team, led by the Portuguese Abel Ferreira and champion of the last two editions of the Copa Libertadores, sought to impose conditions, albeit without despair, against an African rival, who arrived with high morale after having left on the road to Monterrey of Mexico (0-1), champion of North, Central America and the Caribbean.
Ferreira surprised with the inclusion of Uruguayan winger Joaquín Piquerez as starter, who only joined the the day before to the rest of the delegation, after having gone through a quarantine in Brazil due to his positive for covid- detected last week.
The side Marcos Rocha and the attackers Dudú and Roni put in danger in the first minutes of play the defense of the two-time African champion, led by the South African Pitsu Mosimane, who he was an assistant to veteran Carlos Alberto Parreira when the Brazilian coached the South African national team.
With the passing of the minutes, Palmeiras maintained dominance and with plays by Raphael Veiga, Piquerez and Gustavo Scarpa he was always prowling the rival area with a desire to score.
In the minute 38, in an attack initiated by Danilo, Dudú managed to make a masterful “three-finger” pass to Raphael Veiga, who calmly defined over the defended goal by Ali Lofti.
In the second half, when the teams were barely comfortable on the field, Piquerez started a play that passed to Rapahel Veiga and the creative, returning the pass for the first goal, enabled Dudú, who overflowed from the right and with a powerful shot made it 2-0.
Al-Ahly tried to shake it off and attacked to seek discount, launching the entire team on the attack.
At 73 minutes, on a fault of the Wéverton goalkeeper, Mohamed Sherif scored, but the French referee Clement Turpi, with the support of the VAR, annulled the goal for an advanced position d the Egyptian.
Also with a VAR decision, Turpi sent off Ayman Ashraf with a red card for a treacherous foul on Rony.
During injury time, the reserve Mohamed Sherif hit the crossbar with a shot, which could have meant the discount goal.
The 90 minutes the Uruguayan Piquerez, the Paraguayan Gustavo Gómez, while the Colombian Eduard Atuesta entered in the final minutes.
For the African team were starters the Tunisian Ali Maaloul and the Senegalese Aliou Dieng.
– Technical sheet:
two. Palmeiras (BRA):
Weverton; Marcos Rocha, Gustavo Gómez, Luan, Joaquín Piquerez; Danilo, Zé Rafael (d.84, Eduard Atuesta), Gustavo Scarpa (d.84, Breno Lopes), Raphael Veiga (m.77, Jailson); Dudú (m.77, Wésley) and Rony (m.88, Deyverson). DT: Abel Ferreira.
0. Al-Ahly (EGI): Ali Lofti; Rami Rabia (m.53, Hamdi Fathi), Yasser Ibrahim, Ayman Ashraf, Mohamed Hany; Aliou Dieng, Ali Maaloul, Amir El Solia (m.52, Ahmed Abdelkader), Mohamed Magdy”Afsha”; Hussein El-Shahat (d.52, Mohamed Sherif) and Taher Mohamed (d.71, Walid Soliman). DT: Pitsu Mosimane.
Goals: 1-0, m.48: Raphael Veiga. 2-0, m.48, Dudu.
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