April 25 – On Thursday, Palmeiras defeated Bolívar 3-2 at altitude to maintain a perfect record in the Copa Libertadores.
The Sao Paulo club excelled in its game management to do what Flamengo couldn’t against LDU Quito and win at altitude away with a five-man backline. In La Paz, 3,600 meters above sea level, Palmeiras’s main opponent was adapting to playing in an environment with thin air, where the ball moves faster and teams often run out of breath.
With three wins from three, Palmeiras keep top spot in Group G of the Copa Libertadores ahead of Paraguay’s Cerro Porteno, Bolivar and Sporting Cristal. They are the only club in the competition with a perfect record.
It was Palmeiras’s seventh consecutive win and their best spell since 2023. They previously defeated Sporting Cristal, Sport, Cerro Porteño, Corinthians, Internacional and Fortaleza. But manager Abel Ferreira voiced his concerns over the demanding calendar and travel, saying: “We only have two days to recover, I think. This is what ruins our team, it ruins everything, that’s why there are so many injuries in Brazilian football.”
“It’s about trying to pray to our Lord so that no one gets injured. I started praying to our Lord, it’s the pact I have. It’s impossible, with the schedule we have, with the trips we have. The pact is to pray so that no one gets injured anymore.”
Two seasons ago, Palmeiras won the Copa Libertadores, but this weekend the club’s attention will turn back to the domestic league with a home fixture against Bahia.
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