In their next commitment to the Club World Cup, this Thursday (19), Palmeiras faces Egyptian Al Ahly, an old acquaintance of intercontinental competitions, in a match that can be well referred to their classification to the next phase of the competition in the United States.
In a game valid for the second round of the club’s Cup, Abel Ferreira’s team returns to measure forces with the largest Egyptian champion and the Champions League of Africa, in a match that will represent the tiebreaker between the two teams.
The two clubs have faced each other twice in history, both in the previous format of the Club World Cup, renamed the Intercontinental Cup.
The first of these was in the 2020 edition held in February 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The teams faced each other in the dispute for third place, after Palmeiras, then champion of the Copa Libertadores, was eliminated in the semifinals by Tigers, Mexico, and Al Ahly, African champion, fall to Bayern Munich Germans.
Following a goalless tie in regulatory time at Education City Stadium at Qatar, the decision ended up going to penalties. Gustavo Scarpa and Gustavo Gómez converted their charges, but Ron, Luiz Adriano and Felipe Melo wasted, with Alviverde ending the competition in fourth place, then the worst campaign of a South American.
In the next edition of the Club World Cup, held in February 2022, in Abu Dhabi, the two teams, again continental champions, met again, this time in the semifinals.
In the second meeting, who took the best was Palmeiras, who won 2-0, with goals from Raphael Veiga and Dudu. In the final, the Brazilian team was defeated by Chelsea 2-1, with the second goal of the English in the final minutes of the extension, while Al Ahly thrashed the Saudi Al Hilal 4-0 to secure third place again.
The confrontation tiebreaker this Thursday, at 13h (Brasília time), in New Jersey, can leave the winner already with a foot in the next phase of the club’s Cup.
After goalless draws in the first round between Palmeiras and Porto and Al Ahly and Inter Miami, the four teams appear with one point, with the number of yellow cards serving as a tie criterion.
With three cards in the debut – Gómez Gómez, Felipe Anderson and Abel Ferreira -, Palmeiras is currently only the third in the classification, behind Al Ahly (a card) and Porto (two cards), ahead only of Inter Miami (four cards).
If you win the match against the Egyptians, and depending on the score and the number of cards in the confrontation between Inter Miami and Porto, which face at 4 pm on Thursday, Palmeiras can end the second round in the group’s lead, being relatively comfortable for the final confrontation against the team of Messi and Luis Suárez for the third round, on Monday (23).
Regarding the last game with Al Ahly, there are still eight remnants in the alviverde cast – goalkeepers Weverton and Marcelo Lomba, defenders Gustavo Gómez and Murilo, sides Marcos Rocha, Mayke and Piquerez and midfielder Raphael Veiga.
Abel Ferreira’s main bet, however, will be in the attack, with Stephen, highlight of the team in the debut against Porto and elected the best of the match.
Already Al Ahly suffers from the absence of the main name of the team, the midfielder of the Egyptian team Emam Ashour, top scorer of the season with 19 goals in 41 matches, and nine assists.
Ashour suffered a serious injury just 13 minutes into the tournament’s debut match in the United States, after crashing into Inter Miami’s defender and falling badly on the lawn. He still tried to continue in the game, but ended up leaving the field minutes later in tears.
Medical examinations found that he suffered a collarbone fracture. The player underwent surgery and is out of the rest of the competition.
With this, attention on the Egyptian team turns to Wessam Abou Ali, the team’s vice-scorer of the season, with 16 goals in 33 matches, plus five assists.
Born in Denmark and son of Palestinian father, Abou Ali chose to defend the selection of Palestine. He even scored at the debut against Inter Miami, but the goal was annulled by impediment.
