Penalty drama and missed chances as leaders held | OneFootball

Flamengo traveled to Allianz Parque on Sunday eyeing a crucial result against table-topping Palmeiras in the tenth round of the 2025 Brasileirão. Four points separated the sides at kickoff, with Flamengo occupying second after a solid run but facing considerable absences through injuries and suspension.

Manager Filipe Luís restored key names to the lineup as Arrascaeta, Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira, and Alex Sandro returned following recent rotations. Arrascaeta was back in the starting eleven after missing out against Botafogo due to physical fatigue—a welcome lift with Flamengo’s midfield options diminished. Even so, the visitors contended with six enforced absences: Wesley (suspension), Pulgar, Allan, De la Cruz, Plata, and Viña (all injured or in recovery). Right-back Varela slotted in for Wesley, coming off an impactful midweek performance that included a goal and assist.

Palmeiras, meanwhile, had midfield questions of their own. Coach Abel Ferreira was absent, serving a suspension, while Felipe Anderson (thigh injury) and Richard Ríos (suspended) left the midfield reshaped. Raphael Veiga was back in the squad after missing the previous game with back trouble, offering some balance. Emiliano Martínez, Aníbal Moreno, and Lucas Evangelista anchored the hosts’ central areas, with Mauricio among the options for a creative role.

The first half saw Flamengo control the ball for prolonged periods—holding 56% possession—but struggle to convert that into genuine chances. Palmeiras, with 44% possession, applied more pressure in attack and racked up four attempts to Flamengo’s zero through the opening half-hour.

A turning point came in the 12th minute when a handball from Varela in the box, confirmed by VAR, handed Palmeiras a penalty. Joaquín Piquerez’s effort from the spot was sharply saved to the right by Agustín Rossi. The miss kept the game goalless as the contest settled into a tactical battle, both sides probing with little clarity in the final third. Central defenders Léo Ortiz and Léo Pereira were instrumental in repelling aerial threats, while Gerson and Everton Araújo—now regulars in midfield due to injury absences—held their own against Palmeiras’ shuffled unit.

In attack, Luiz Araújo, Bruno Henrique, and Everton Cebolinha provided the width and movement, but service was at a premium and Palmeiras’ defensive line, led by Gustavo Gómez (who picked up a yellow card for a foul on Bruno Henrique), stayed organized.

At the interval, the scoreboard remained untroubled, reflecting the balance of two sides attempting to navigate patched-up lineups and injury-enforced adjustments. With the league leaders unable to break through, Flamengo preserved their unbeaten run away from home and remain within immediate striking distance at the top.

Source: Lance