Palmeiras Takes a Scare, Beats River in a Tense Match and Advances in the Libertadores

Both teams complained heavily about Uruguayan referee Andrés Matonte. Palmeiras appealed for a penalty not given early in the game, while River Plate was outraged by a penalty awarded towards the end. At the end of the match, the police had to contain the Argentine players, who confronted the refereeing trio. Amid an officiating that displeased both sides, Palmeiras and River exchanged jabs and shoves on the field. The first half saw Weverton foul Galoppo, while Acuña pushed Vitor Roque and headbutted Emiliano Martínez. Palmeiras will return to action next Sunday at 4 pm against Bahia at Arena Fonte Nova in Brasileirão. River will also play on Sunday, at 6 pm against Deportivo Riestra at Monumental Stadium for the Argentine League. River Plate responded with a ‘present’ of its own, but Vitor Roque saved the day. The first-leg match saw Abel Ferreira surprising by fielding Andreas Pereira in Palmeiras’ starting lineup. The novelty paid off early in the game with an assist from the number 8 to Gustavo Gómez. On their return, Gallardo returned the favor by fielding a crowded midfield with Castaño, Portillo, Quintero, Galoppo, and Nacho Fernández. Just 8 minutes into the 1st half, Quintero, one of the new additions to the starting team, scored from a free-kick, with Salas heading in the first goal. Abel Ferreira’s team had a poor first half, a far cry from their performance in the first 45 minutes in Argentina. To make matters worse, the Palmeiras players were very irritated with the officiating of Andrés Matonte, who let the game flow. The halftime chat worked, and Palmeiras came back more energetic for the second half. Just 6 minutes in, Piquerez crossed, Vitor Roque’s header was saved by Armani but Tigrinho scored the equalizer on the rebound, easing the tension. Gallardo was forced to make changes to the team, but that resulted in a loss of quality. Palmeiras felt more comfortable and easily dealt with River’s attempts at attack. Towards the end of the game, Flaco secured the win from a penalty and netted a third goal in stoppage time with a superb strike.