Palmeiras reach first Copa do Brasil semi-final in six years after beating Santos
A goalless draw at Vila Belmiro was enough for Palmeiras to reach their first Copa do Brasil semi-final in six years. Palmeiras had won the first leg at home by 3-0 and were favourites to progress.
Backed by a strong crowd, Santos started the game in dominant fashion, with Neymar pulling the strings. The Barcelona legend saw his long-distance free-kick parried away by Carlos Miguel in goal, as the Alvinegro had kept the tempo up. However, the visitors had the best chances of the first half.
A cutback from Jose Lopez fell to Paraguayan midfielder Mauricio, but he skied his attempt. Mauricio was again guilty of missing an easy chance when he sent the ball over again from inside the box. The first half came to an end with Santos in ascendancy but talisman Neyman had to withdraw just before the interval due to pain in his leg.
The Alviverde started the second half much better and should have taken the lead in the 56th minute. Some nice play on the right-hand side saw Khellven play a sublime cross in the box and Vitor Roque had a free header. But the 21-year-old striker failed to direct his effort on target.
Normal service resumed for Alexi Stival’s side, but they were largely reduced to long-range efforts and didn’t put Miguel and the Palmeiras backline under serious pressure. As such, the 3-0 advantage proved to be enough for Abel Ferreira’s side, as they sealed progress to the last four.
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For Palmeiras, the work was done in the first leg at Nubank Parque a week earlier. Two goals from Jose Lopez and another by Andreas Pereira had given them a 3-0 advantage heading into the return leg.
The win puts them in the semi-finals of the tournament for the first time since 2020, when they went all the way. Six years ago, they beat Gremio in the final to lift their fourth Copa do Brasil title. Now, they will have the chance to add to that tally when they take on Vasco da Gama, who beat Vitoria 3-0 on aggregate.
Meanwhile, the defeat means Santos’ long wait for national success goes on. The Sao Paulo giant last won the Copa in 2010, while their last league title came over two decades ago in 2004.
After the disappointment of the domestic cup exit, Santos will turn their attention to the quarter-final tie in Copa Sudamericana against Atletico Mineiro. The league also remains a priority, with the club lying just four points ahead of the drop in the Brazilian Serie A this season.
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