Atlético Mineiro signed a goalless draw in his visit to a defensive Palmeiras, for the first leg of the Copa Libertadores-2021 semifinal, and will now define at home the pass to the final of the maximum continental club tournament.
The Galo Hulk forward missed a penalty near the end of the first half of the match, played at the Allianz Parque stadium in Sao Paulo, which left a bitter taste in a team from Minas Gerais that made offensive spending despite being away.
“We could have walked away with a victory. I am the main responsible for not winning because we lost the penalty, “said the experienced attacker at the end of the game.
But “now we have to focus (…) to achieve the goal, which is the final of the Libertadores,” he added.
Opposite, the current champion of the Libertadores fulfilled the main objective of leaving his rival at zero, but failed to counterattack.
“We knew that Atlético Mineiro is a team that has a lot of the ball, so we had to have intelligence,” said ‘Verdao’ player Raphael Veiga.
The midfielder appreciated the strength of Verdao, led by Portuguese Abel Ferreira, and assured that in the rematch in Belo Horizonte they will try to “take advantage of the spaces.”
The winner of the duel between Palmeiras, current champion of the Copa Libertadores, and Atlético Mineiro will go in the November final in Montevideo against the winner of the clash between Flamengo and Barcelona from Ecuador.
– First leg matches of the semifinals of the Copa Libertadores 2021:
– Tuesday
In Sao Paulo: Palmeiras (BRA) – Atlético Mineiro (BRA) 0-0
– Wednesday
In janeiro river: Flamengo (BRA) – Barcelona (ECU). (AP)