Palmeiras: 2021 Copa Libertadores Winners

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Palmeiras won the Copa Libertadores for the second year in a row as an extra-time goal from Deyverson secured a 2-1 win over Flamengo in an absorbing all-Brazilian final.

It is the third time the São Paulo club have won South America’s equivalent of Europe’s Champions League, following victories in 1999 and 2020.

Raphael Veiga put Palmeiras ahead after five minutes in Montevideo. A counterattack started by the defender Gustavo Gómez found the right-back Mayke, who was played onside by the former Arsenal defender David Luiz, and his low cross reached was slotted past Diego Alves by Veiga.

Flamengo’s equaliser did not arrive until the 72nd minute, courtesy of Gabriel Barbosa – the scorer of both goals in Flamengo’s 2-1 win against River Plate in the 2019 final. The man nicknamed Gabigol beat Weverton in Palmeiras’s goal from close range, after being set up by Giorgian de Arrascaeta.

Nothing could separate the sides after an evenly-matched 90 minutes but it did not take long for Palmeiras to regain the upper hand in extra time as a slip by the Manchester United loanee Andreas Pereira five minutes into the extra period let Deyverson in to calmly beat Alves.

Deyverson, who had only just come on in place of a fatigued Veiga, returned to Palmeiras in June after a loan to Alavés, and was in tears after his first goal in this season’s Copa Libertadores.

The result is a personal triumph for Palmeiras’s Portuguese coach, Abel Ferreira, who becomes the first European to win the Libertadores twice following victory over Santos in January. It is also the first time a team have successfully defended the Libertadores title since Boca Juniors in 2001, while Palmeiras’s success was the eighth since 2010 for a Brazilian club.

Palmeiras: 2020-21 Copa Libertadores Champions

A goal eight minutes into stoppage time won Palmeiras the Copa Libertadores on Saturday as a Breno Lopes header earned the Sao Paulo club a 1-0 win over Santos.

The final of South America's equivalent of Europe's Champions League was played on a roasting hot afternoon in Rio de Janeiro and chances were few and far between.

Just as a lacklustre match looked sure to go to extra-time, however, substitute Lopes timed his jump perfectly at the back post to loop a header into the net.

His goal, moments after Santos coach Cuca was sent off for a fracas on the touchline, provoked wild celebrations from Palmeiras fans who had gathered to watch the game in Sao Paulo, ignoring socially distancing rules.

With the temperature in Rio de Janeiro topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit, neither side was able to make an early impact in the final of the continent's major tournament.

Although the game opened up slightly towards the end of the second half, it failed to live up to expectations of TV viewers in 191 countries or the 5,000 specially invited guests who watched the match live at the Maracana.

Victory, however, continued a superb season for Palmeiras and their recently appointed 42-year old coach Abel Ferreira.

The club won the Paulista state championship in August and they play Gremio in the Copa do Brasil final in February.

This was Palmeiras' second Libertadores title -- and their first since 1999 -- and the third time in four years that a Brazilian team have won South America's biggest club competition.

The final was originally scheduled to be held in November but the tournament was halted for six months due to the coronavirus pandemic.