Rio de Janeiro’s Maracanã was full and restless, with 69,039 people watching Fluminense take the initiative in a Brazilian Copa Libertadores semi-final that Palmeiras ultimately turned into an exercise in ruthless travel. The São Paulo side left with a 2-1 first-leg victory, built on two breaks forward and a late defensive resistance that puts them within a home draw of another continental final next week.
Palmeiras, beaten by Flamengo in last season’s final, absorbed long spells of Fluminense possession before striking at the most damaging moments. José Manuel “Flaco” López gave the visitors the lead on the stroke of half-time, and Marlon Freitas added a second in the 85th minute. Wesley Nata headed in during the third minute of stoppage time for Fluminense, but there was no time left for the hosts to find an equaliser.
Fluminense had begun as the more assertive team under Marcão, pressing a Palmeiras side that initially looked untidy and was largely confined to counterattacking. Hulk, Uruguay’s Agustín Canobbio and Venezuela’s Jefferson Savarino all had opportunities before the interval without finding the finish. The clearest came in the 40th minute, when Paulo Henrique Ganso picked out Hulk in the area. The veteran forward turned unmarked and struck cleanly, only for Carlos Miguel to block with his chest.
The home side had held the ball for 70 per cent of the opening half and registered five attempts to Palmeiras’s two, but their control did not survive the visitors’ first major opening. Joaquín Piquerez, the Uruguayan full-back, supplied López on the break in the 45th minute. The Argentine forward’s goal was his fourth in this Libertadores campaign, to go with four assists, and he soon troubled Fluminense again with two further late first-half attacks.
Palmeiras find room when it mattered
Fluminense returned from the interval with Hércules replacing Martinelli and Colombian winger Kevin Serna added to the contest, determined to force the tie back onto level terms. Yet Palmeiras produced the first significant chance after the restart: Marlon Freitas released Piquerez into the box, where Fábio got fingertips to a powerful shot. Carlos Miguel then made another important intervention in the 57th minute, keeping out Canobbio’s header.
Abel Ferreira, serving a suspension and watching from the stands, steadily removed Palmeiras’s principal attacking options. López departed in the 73rd minute for Ramón Sosa, Andreas Pereira made way for Maurício, and Jhon Arias was replaced by Felipe Anderson a minute later. The Portuguese coach’s side largely abandoned ambitions of sustained attack, but still found the second goal through another transition. In the 85th minute, Freitas reacted to a loose ball inside the area after the counterattack and drove Palmeiras further ahead.
Wesley Nata, introduced for Savarino in the 83rd minute, gave the Maracanã one final surge of hope when he nodded home at 90+3. Marcão had also sent on Lucho Acosta and Rodrigo Castillo for Ganso and Hulk in the 77th minute, but the comeback stopped at one goal.
Facundo Tello of Argentina refereed the match, booking Palmeiras players Alexander Barboza, Agustín Giay and Maurício, as well as Fluminense midfielder Nonato. Fluminense started with Fábio; Guga, Thiago Silva, Julián Millán, Guilherme Arana; Martinelli, Nonato, Ganso; Savarino, Canobbio and Hulk. Palmeiras lined up with Carlos Miguel; Piquerez, Murilo, Gustavo Gómez, Barboza, Giay; Freitas, Lucas Evangelista, Andreas Pereira; Arias and López.
The return in São Paulo now offers Palmeiras a familiar continental proposition: defend their advantage without becoming captive to it. Fluminense, having created enough in Rio to feel aggrieved by the scoreline, must turn territorial command into goals on the road if they are to deny their Brazilian rivals a second consecutive Libertadores final.
