Brazil’s clubs have dominated the Copa Libertadores in recent years – and even before the 2021 final it was clear: The Cup will once again go to the land of the samba. The defending champions were allowed to celebrate.
Palmeiras against Flamengo, Sao Paulo against Rio de Janeiro, winners in 2020 against winners in 2019. The team from Rio de Janeiro was considered the favourite, not least because of experienced stars like David Luiz, Mauricio Isla and Luis Filipe, or goal hero Gabriel Barbosa. With Bruno Henrique, a former Bundesliga player (14 appearances for Wolfsburg) was also in Flamengo’s starting eleven, which on top of that had won all four games against Palmeiras this season.
And yet Rio got off to a poor start in Montevideo: in the fifth minute, Mayke broke through on the right and fed Raphael Veiga in the centre – 1-0. The early goal played right into Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira’s hands, of course, as his charges were now able to sit comfortably in their own half and lurk for counter-attacks. The defending champions did just that, and Sao Paulo were too passive at times. That was to take its revenge.
Palmeiras’ passivity punished
Flamengo had more of the game and pressed for an equaliser, also knowing that they will have to forget about the championship with an eight-point gap to leaders Atletico Mineiro with four matchdays to go. Coach Renato Gaucho had to wait until the 72nd minute for Gabriel Barbosa to score from an acute angle after a quick attack down the left and a fine double pass into the short corner to make it 1-1 – goalkeeper Weverton had opened the door for “Gabigol’s” eleventh Copa Libertadores goal.
After that, things quietened down again in front of the goals and the game went into extra time. In extra time, it was substitute Deyverson (8 Bundesliga games, 1 goal) who punished a capital blunder by Andreas Pereira and put his team back in the lead.
Palmeiras, third in the Brazilian table, won the most important club competition in South America for the third time and thus joined an illustrious circle of clubs that have achieved the “Tricampeonato”. Only FC Sao Paulo, Gremio Porto Alegre and Pelé’s FC Santos belong to this circle.
