Last Wednesday, the 3rd, Palmeiras opened the dispute of the quarterfinals of Libertadores with an epic draw at Mineirão, by 2 to 2. Current champion of the competition, Verdão fights for the third consecutive conquest, a fact that would be considered unprecedented in the country, and Betfair, the club’s official sponsor, invited some people from Palmeiras via lottery to watch the game with idols Ademir da Guia and Rivaldo.
In a special moment for a group of Palestrinos who were able to participate in a promotion by the sponsor, Rivaldo and Ademir da Guia (‘Divine’) took pictures and evaluated the game at an event organized by Betfair at Casa das Caldeiras, west of São Paulo.
Inside the four lines, Palmeiras needed a lot of dedication, mental strength and power of reaction to avoid the bad score. Atlético-MG, led by striker Hulk, opened the scoring and won by 2-0 until the final stretch of the match, when the São Paulo team managed to draw, keeping its undefeated streak away from home in Libertadores.
The team coached by Abel Ferreira has not been beaten away from home since April 2019 and has the second highest unbeaten series in the competition. After the first leg, the idols alviverdes projected the duel back at Allianz Parque, in São Paulo.
One of the greatest idols in the history of Palmeiras, Ademir da Guia believes that the fans who watched the match with him left satisfied with the recovery of Alviverde. Murilo and Danilo scored the equalizing goals at Mineirão.
“I think the draw was good. The team started losing 2-0 leaving the fans anxious during the match. But the goals came at the right time, now let’s wait for the match here in São Paulo. I believe that our fans must have been very satisfied with the 2-2, we will wait for the decisive duel and see what is decided”, analyzed ‘Divino’.
For Rivaldo, Betfair ambassador and former Palmeiras player in the 90s, Galo was superior in the first 90 minutes, but Verdão is the favorite to take the spot for playing at home in front of their fans.
“It was a game in which Atlético played better and even deserved a positive result, but Palmeiras managed to draw at the very end. The game was open, and that advantage was with Palmeiras because they will play at home. Atlético also has great chances of arriving in São Paulo and getting the victory. But the advantage is with Palmeiras, who will play in their field alongside their fans”, said Rivaldo.
Asked what Palmeiras needs to do to come out with the classification, Rivaldo said that the team needs to present a better performance than the draw in Belo Horizonte (MG).
“The Palmeiras team needs to play better than they played at Mineirão. The team did not play well, but managed a heroic draw. But a big team also has that, Palmeiras was lucky in that game and got the tie in the final minutes. Now it’s time to play better in the next match, and playing at home, with the support of the fans, I believe it’s much more relaxed. I believe that Palmeiras will have a great game and get the classification”, he concluded.
While Ademir da Guia indicated that Verdão will need to destabilize the opponent by playing outside their domains. “To score the first goal and not concede a goal. This is the secret. I think Palmeiras could be the favorite in this way, as it will show that with the team in front of the scoreboard, they will be able to be well and gain confidence in the 90 minutes”, concluded Divino.
Rivaldo analyzes duel between Flamengo and Corinthians and Athletico’s mission in Libertadores
The Betfair ambassador also spoke about the classic of the two biggest fans in Brazil between Corinthians and Flamengo that ended with a 2-0 victory for the Cariocas at NeoQuimica Arena. “It’s always good for you to go into the next game with a win and playing at home. Flamengo has this 2-0 advantage, but nothing is decided yet”.
“But of course all clubs would like to go to the next game with a 2-0 victory. Corinthians will need to get there, go out to the game and try to beat Flamengo. I believe it will be difficult for the group of players who have Flamengo”, added Rivaldo.
In addition, the five-time world champion with the selection in 2002 stressed that coach Dorival Jr managed to change both the tactical scheme and the posture of Flamengo since his arrival. “I think it did a lot. The coach (Dorival Júnior) arrived and set up the team well with two forwards up front, Gabigol and Pedro who are doing very well now, the team has completely changed in the last month.”
“When the coach arrived at Flamengo, the team was below expectations. Now, the team from Rio de Janeiro is already fighting for the top positions and performing well in Libertadores. There are still many games, for me, Flamengo is the favorite in the decisive duel in São Paulo and has great chances in the Brazilian Championship as well”, he added.
On Thursday, 4th, Hurricane began its journey in the quarterfinals against Estudiantes (ARG), at Arena da Baixada. With the tie at 0-0, the team qualified for the semifinals will be known in the return game in Argentina. According to Rivaldo, the experience of coach Felipão can make a difference for the Brazilian team.
“Estudiantes has a lot of tradition in this competition. But on the other side there are athletes playing well. And there is the coach Felipão, who knows how to play close”, concluded Rivaldo in an interview with Betfair.
About Betfair
Betfair is one of the largest online sports betting providers in the world, and official sponsor of Libertadores and Sudamericana. The company, founded in London in 2000, pioneered the provision of peer-to-peer betting in the betting industry and manages a full suite of sports betting, entertainment events and online gaming products for over 4 million customers worldwide. the world, available for people over 18 years old.
Thanks to its cutting-edge technology, the platform offers a wide catalog of products that allows you to bet with your own odds and odds offered by other users. The company is licensed to operate online betting and other gaming in 19 countries, including Spain, Italy, Malta, Colombia and Great Britain.
