Football – Paulinho came off the bench to score a dramatic extra-time winner as Palmeiras edged out fellow Brazilians Botafogo 1-0 yesterday to book their place in the Club World Cup quarter-finals.
The match, played in Philadelphia’s sweltering summer heat, remained goalless after 90 minutes of cagey and ill-tempered football.
In the 100th minute, Paulinho delivered the decisive moment, cutting in from the right, dribbling past two defenders and firing a low angled shot into the bottom corner, beyond the reach of Botafogo keeper John.
Botafogo pushed for an equaliser but failed to capitalise, even after Palmeiras were reduced to 10 men when Gustavo Gomez received a second yellow card for a tactical foul.
Palmeiras held firm to secure their first win against bitter rivals Botafogo in nearly two years, and will next face Benfica or Chelsea on Friday in Philadelphia.
“We played an incredible game,” Palmeiras manager Abel Ferreira told reporters. “We did very well in the 90 minutes and in extra time. We suffered together with one player less, but we deserved it.”
It was a tense, compelling clash between familiar foes who have met in several significant games in recent years. Palmeiras overturned a three-goal deficit to beat Botafogo 4-3 in 2023, a result that derailed the Rio club’s Brazilian league campaign.
Botafogo responded by eliminating Palmeiras en route to their 2024 Copa Libertadores triumph and had since gone unbeaten against them in five consecutive matches until yesterday.
The first half was a sluggish affair, with Palmeiras dominating possession but struggling to break down a deep-lying Botafogo defence.
Teenage winger Estevao, bound for Chelsea in a 60 million euro deal after the tournament, provided Palmeiras’ only spark down the left flank. However, chances were few, and the first half saw just one shot on target, a fierce strike from Richard Rios that John superbly parried.
Botafogo looked far from the side who inflicted a shock defeat on Champions League winners Paris St Germain last week, and Palmeiras dominated possession against the South American champions.
Palmeiras returned with more urgency after the break, and Estevao tested John with a low shot from outside the box.
Botafogo responded through Artur, whose curling strike was comfortably saved by Palmeiras keeper Weverton, but they kept struggling to create clearcut chances.
Estevao had a goal ruled out for offside in the 50th minute before being substituted, a decision that proved pivotal as his replacement Paulinho came up with a deserved winner for Palmeiras.
Chelsea’s last 16 clash with Benfica was delayed with just five minutes remaining after a weather warning in the area.
The game, which was being played at the Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina, was immediately halted with all players removed from the pitch and taken inside.
A message displayed on the screens inside the ground told fans to take cover away from their seats and head for the concourse.
It read: “Seek cover protocol. Severe weather in the area. Seek cover.”
Fans were quick to take shelter and get themselves a drink and a bite to eat while they ducked away from the approaching storm before play could resume.
Heat in the area had hit highs of 33 degrees Celsius during the game.
Players were frustrated at the decision to delay the game, with Marc Cucurella seen protesting towards referee Slavko Vincic.
There was under five minutes of regulation time left of the game when the decision was made to bring it to a halt.
The two sides had played out a lifeless 85 minutes in the tough conditions, with Chelsea leading 1-0.
The Blues were uninspiring as they played at pre-season pace to get the better of an even more lacklustre Benfica outfit.
Reece James’ quick thinking from a wide free kick saw him find the bottom corner and give the few fans that made the journey to North Carolina something to cheer about.
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