Palmeiras defeated Botafogo 1-0 on Saturday to advance to the Club World Cup quarterfinals, all thanks to substitute Paulinho, who scored the game-winning goal in extra time.
Naija News understands that the winger entered the game at the same moment as Palmeiras coach, Abel Ferreira, substituted teenage sensation Estevao Willian, a decision that seemed puzzling at the time but turned out to be wise.
When Paulinho received a pass from Richard Rios on the right flank in the 100th minute of the match, he had the time and space to enter the box and slam a low shot into the far corner.
The Palmeiras supporters who made up the great majority of the 33657 spectators inside Lincoln Financial Field celebrated wildly after that. The Sao Paulo team managed to win the match in the round of 16 even though captain Gustavo Gomez was sent off late in the game.
Palmeiras, the 2020 and 2021 Copa Libertadores winners, will now remain in Philadelphia for a quarterfinal matchup with Chelsea or Benfica, who play later Saturday in Charlotte.
With nearly every opportunity going to the men in green, they had been the more dangerous team throughout this matchup between the top two teams from the Brazilian league the previous year.
The Rio de Janeiro team Botafogo won the Copa Libertadores for the first time in their history in 2024 after defeating Palmeiras to win the domestic championship.
Despite losing their coach and a number of important players, they defeated Paris Saint-Germain, the European champions, in the Club World Cup group stage to advance to the knockout stage before Atletico Madrid.
In a game played in Philadelphia during the warm midday hours, Palmeiras, however, were the more animated of the two teams.
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