Palmeiras 1-0 Botafogo: 10-man Palmeiras become first quarter-finalists at Club World Cup | OneFootball

An extra time goal from substitute Paulinho gave Palmeiras both a spot in the Club World Cup quarter-finals and their first victory against Botafogo since 2023 after a 1-0 win at Lincoln Financial Field.

The two teams sparred throughout regulation time, and while Palmeiras dominated in terms of chance-creation, neither side would be able to find the net until extra-time, when Paulinho’s shot, deflected slightly by the boot of Alexander Barboza, beat Botafogo’s goalkeeper John, who had put in an imperious performance up to this point.

Gustavo Gómez was shown a second yellow card late on in the game, forcing Palmeiras to hold on to their lead with 10 men, but Botafogo just couldn’t turn their man advantage into a goal.

As it happened

The sides who make up one of Brazil’s newest rivalries spent the first half sizing one another up without really creating any chances of note. Vitor Roque poked a shot wide after a threatening ball from Chelsea-bound wonderkid Estêvão on the 10-minute mark, but Palmeiras wouldn’t come close again until the very end of the half, when Richard Ríos dipped an effort from distance onto the top of the net, convincing a portion of the crowd of a goal that never was.

It was the side in green who dominated possession, but Botafogo would occasionally fashion a nice passing move down their right-hand side, though they also struggled to convert pretty passing into chances on goal. Jefferson Savarino skied an effort from distance in the 34th minute, and Marlon Freitas would drag an effort wide of the goal after bulldozing his way into the box shortly before the end of the half, but that was all they could offer up in the shooting department as far as the first half was concerned.

Whatever Abel Ferreira said to his Palmeiras side at the break was evidently heeded, because they exploded out the blocks with chance after chance. Estêvão was denied twice in the opening five minutes by Botafogo’s goalkeeper John who, having faced no shots on target at all in the first half, was a busy boy in the second.

Roque was then also denied by the 29-year-old between the sticks and then by a block from Jair Cunha, and John would be called into action once more on the hour mark to claim Maurício’s low effort originating outside the box. Botafogo, for their part, had largely been limited to the speculative: Savarino twice shot from range, once testing Weverton before then smashing the ball high and wide.

Then, with 15 minutes left to play, the best save of the game so far: Joaquín Piquerez whipped in a teasing ball towards the near post, and Maurício ducked to send a header looping towards goal. To his dismay, an acrobatic John tipped the ball over for a corner from which Palmeiras couldn’t benefit.

Possession would soon level out, but chances didn’t. By the time the whistle blew after 90 minutes of football, Palmeiras had taken 16 shots to Botafogo’s four and produced 13 corners compared to just two from their opponents. Yet, the teams went in scoreless, with 30 more minutes of football to play.

It was on the 100-minute-mark that, finally, the ball hit the back of the net, and it was courtesy of a substitute. Paulinho, who’d come on to replace Roque, latched onto the ball outside the Botafogo box and jinked his way towards goal, took the ball past an overly committed Freitas, and guided a shot into the bottom left corner via a little touch off the boot of Barboza.

Paulinho, nursing a shin injury at present, was immediately taken back off the pitch with his work done. Palmeiras, from their 18th shot of the game, were finally in front.

Botafogo responded by taking some control of the game for the first time. Igor Jesus won headers from corners twice without causing Weverton too much trouble, substitute Joaquín Correa looked lively, and Artur smashed an effort from distance just wide of the post.

Their biggest chance came right at the end, with a goalmouth scramble ultimately claimed by Weverton. Botafogo had knocked on the door, hammered it in, desperate for an answer which ultimately never came.

There was more drama late on, when Gómez wrestled Barboza to the ground in the middle of the park with four minutes left, picking up his second yellow card of the match and ultimately his marching orders. Palmeiras were left with 10 men on the pitch to defend their slender lead.

But defend it they did. Slender though the lead may have been, Palmeiras held on to become the first quarter-finalists at this Club World Cup. The flurry of chances was too little, too late for Botafogo: their rivals had won, a game against either Chelsea or Benfica awaiting them in the final eight.

The lineups

PAL: Weverton; Giay, Gómez, Fuchs, Piquerez; Allan, Ríos, Martínez; Estêvão, Roque, Maurício