A goal eight minutes into stoppage time from Breno Lopes won Palmeiras the Copa Libertadores on Saturday. His header earned the São Paulo club a 1-0 win over Santos.
The final of South America’s equivalent of Europe’s Champions League was played on a roasting hot afternoon in Rio de Janeiro and chances were few and far between. Just as a lacklustre match looked sure to go to extra time, however, the substitute Lopes timed his jump perfectly at the back post to loop a header into the net.
His goal, moments after the Santos coach, Cuca, was sent off for a fracas on the touchline, provoked wild celebrations from Palmeiras fans who had gathered to watch the game in São Paulo, ignoring socially distancing rules.
With the temperature in Rio topping 100F, neither side was able to make an early impact in the final of the continent’s blue riband tournament.
Although the game opened up slightly towards the end of the second half, it failed to live up to expectations of TV viewers in 191 countries or the 5,000 specially invited guests who watched the match live at the Maracanã.
Victory, however, continued a superb season for Palmeiras and their recently appointed 42-year-old coach, the Portuguese Abel Ferreira. The club won the Paulista state championship in August and they play Grêmio in the Copa do Brasil final in February.
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Title joy for Chapecoense, four years on from tragedy
Chapecoense have sealed the Brazilian Serie B title on goal difference in dramatic fashion. Anselmo Ramon's last-minute Panenka penalty earned a 3-1 win over Confianca, and edged them above America-MG.
Alan Ruschel, one of just three survivors from the squad after the team's tragic plane crash in 2016, lifted the trophy amid emotional scenes. The club from the small southern city of Chapeco had already secured a return to Brazil's top flight, having been relegated in 2019.
"By merit, by right, with a lot of fight, Chapecoense are champions of Brazilian Serie B," the club wrote on Twitter. The team also held an open top bus parade in Chapeco to celebrate their triumph. Reuters
This was Palmeiras’s second Libertadores title – and their first since 1999 – and the third time in four years that a Brazilian team have won South America’s biggest club competition. The final was originally scheduled to be held in November but the tournament was halted for six months by the coronavirus pandemic.
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