Palmeiras booked their place in the Club World Cup quarterfinals after edging past fellow Brazilian side Botafogo 1-0 in a tightly contested, all-Brazilian showdown that required extra time to settle.
In a clash more familiar to the Brasileirão than the global stage, the two sides approached the match with caution and tactical discipline.
The first half offered few clear-cut chances, with Palmeiras seeing more of the ball but struggling to break down Botafogo’s compact shape.
The best opportunity before the break fell early to Palmeiras’ Vitor Roque, who came inches from converting a low cross from Joaquin Piquerez. After the restart, Palmeiras stepped up their urgency, and teenage sensation Estevão thought he had given them the lead in the 49th minute—only to be denied by a razor-thin offside call.
Botafogo began to buckle under increasing pressure as the second half wore on. Goalkeeper John Victor was kept busy, pulling off several fine stops, including a reflex save from a point-blank Mauricio header.
Despite Palmeiras’ control, they were unable to find the breakthrough in normal time, and the match rolled into an additional 30 minutes.
It was in the 100th minute that the deadlock was finally broken. Paulinho darted into the box and fired a low strike that took a wicked deflection off Alexander Barboza, wrong-footing the keeper and nestling into the far corner.
Botafogo nearly responded through Vitinha, whose volley into the side netting had Palmeiras fans holding their breath.
Tensions spiked in the closing stages when Palmeiras skipper Gustavo Gomez received a second yellow card for an off-the-ball incident, forcing his side to defend with 10 men.
Palmeiras, however, held on valiantly to secure their progression.
Midfield engine Richard Ríos stood out with a commanding performance. The Colombian was central to Palmeiras’ control, driving attacks forward and repeatedly testing Botafogo’s defensive resilience.
His displays are drawing interest from Europe, though his €90 million release clause might be a significant barrier.
Manager Abel Ferreira’s tactical decisions sparked debate, particularly his withdrawal of Estevão and Roque just as they began troubling the opposition. Still, Palmeiras found their rhythm again in extra time to seal a narrow but deserved victory.
