Palmeiras loses to Fluminense 1-0
With a goal from Marquinho, the Rio team relieves the pressure on coach Abel Braga.
By Yan Bim_247 - Palmeiras fans had high expectations for the game against Fluminense in Volta Redonda. The reason was the return of midfielder Valdivia, who had been injured since the match against Corinthians in the Campeonato Paulista. With the "Magician" on the field, Palmeiras coach Luiz Felipe Scolari finally managed to field his team with the three players considered most important in the squad. For 10 months, the five-time champion goalkeeper Marcos, the Chilean Valdivia, and the striker Kleber had not played together in a Palmeiras shirt. For Fluminense, who were coming off a 3-1 defeat to Coritiba, a comeback in the Campeonato Brasileiro was a must.
In the first half, the game was very disjointed, with few scoring opportunities. Just two minutes in, goalkeeper Marcos was forced to make a fine save after a header from striker Fred following a free-kick by midfielder Deco. After that play, Palmeiras seemed to wake up and balanced the game. But it was again the Rio de Janeiro team that threatened, this time with midfielder Edinho in the 18th minute. The São Paulo club only created a good scoring chance in the 37th minute, with striker Maikon Leite, whose shot went just wide of goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri's post. The game in the first half was largely concentrated in midfield and lacked excitement.
In the second half, Palmeiras returned stronger and pressured Fluminense. But it was the Rio de Janeiro team that scored: at 25 minutes, with Marquinho. However, the goal was wrongly disallowed. The "scare" didn't seem to affect the São Paulo team; on the contrary, after a cross from Mariano at 29 minutes, Marquinho anticipated Mauricio Ramos and – this time it counted – opened the scoring for Fluminense: 1-0. With the lead, the Rio team managed the game well to secure the three points. The victory was especially important for coach Abel Braga to solidify his position at the helm of the Rio team.
Fluminense returns to the field on the 27th, at 19:30 PM, against Atlético-MG, at Ipatingão, to continue climbing the table. Palmeiras wants to forget the defeat to the Rio team and also returns to the field on the same day, however, it will be at 21:50 PM, against Figueirense, at Orlando Scarpelli.