Palmeiras finally flips the script on Botafogo
Palmeiras cracked a stubborn matchup and an old mental block in one go, edging Botafogo 1-0 after extra time in the Round of 16 at the expanded FIFA Club World Cup on June 28, 2025. A tense, tactical game at a neutral venue tilted on a single moment: substitute Paulinho arriving in the box to turn home a low cross in the 100th minute. Ten minutes of nervy defending with 10 men followed after captain Gustavo Gómez took a second yellow in the 116th, but Palmeiras managed the game and moved on.
This was not pretty. It wasn’t meant to be. Palmeiras carried more of the ball and the territory, but Botafogo’s shape and willingness to break made every misplaced pass feel dangerous. With knockout history against Botafogo hanging in the air, the final whistle brought equal parts relief and release for the Brazilian champions.
How the game was won — and what it means
The opening half was tight and anxious. Palmeiras tried to use Richard Ríos as the pivot to set tempo, and he did that well, switching play and drawing Botafogo’s midfield out of its shell. But without the creativity of the injured Raphael Veiga, the final pass was often a beat late. Vitor Roque flashed into space twice and Murilo rose to meet a set piece, yet both chances came and went.
Botafogo’s plan was clear: survive Palmeiras’ early pressure and hit back when the gaps appeared. Nathan Fernandes and Joaquín Correa each found room to shoot, only for Weverton to make the angle small and the saves look routine. The best Botafogo look before the break fell to Fernando Marçal, who ghosted onto a back-post header that drifted wide when it begged for power.
The second half opened up. Palmeiras pushed the fullbacks higher and tried to drag Botafogo’s back line around with quick switches. That created space for Ríos to step forward and dictate. Still, Botafogo had the clearest single chance in regulation when Renato Pavia found himself free inside the area and pulled his finish past the post. It was the kind of miss that lingers — and did.
Extra time changed the energy. Palmeiras’ manager went to the bench, and the game-changer arrived in the form of Paulinho. The irony wasn’t lost on anyone: the match documentation had previously listed a Paulinho as out for the season with a shin injury, raising the distinct possibility that the scorer shares the name with another squad member. Regardless, his timing was perfect. He read the flight of a low, driven cross, slipped between center-backs, and steered the winner past a stranded keeper.
From there, Palmeiras looked prepared to kill the clock through possession and fouls in safe areas. But the plan took a hit when Gómez saw a second yellow for an off-the-ball tangle that wasn’t plainly visible on first viewing. French referee François Letexier had a clean look and didn’t hesitate. The dismissal forced a late reshuffle, with Palmeiras collapsing deeper and Weverton taking command of the box. He punched corners cleanly, gathered second balls, and bled seconds when the chance came.
Weverton’s calm was matched by Ríos’ control. The Colombian’s reading of the game — stepping in to intercept, then turning pressure into composure — was one of the night’s quiet turning points. Palmeiras didn’t win the midfield with flashy dribbles; they won it by being in the right places and letting Botafogo feel the clock.
Injuries shaped the night on both sides. Veiga’s groin issue removed Palmeiras’ most reliable final-third passer. The late inclusion of Paulinho — given the earlier season injury listing — will raise questions the club will almost certainly clarify, but on the pitch he justified the call with a single, decisive touch. Botafogo arrived shorthanded too: Bastos (knee), Cuiabano (sprained ankle), and Figueiredo (cruciate ligament) were all out. That attrition showed in the last half-hour, when legs faded and the front line struggled to hold the ball.
Beyond the result, this was a mental reset for Palmeiras. The “hoodoo” against Botafogo in knockout ties had become a talking point inside and outside the camp. Breaking it here, on a global stage, matters. The players treated extra time with a calm that felt learned the hard way — slow the tempo, be cynical when needed, and trust the spine of the team when the game frays.
For Botafogo, this will sting. They limited chances for long spells, created the one they needed in regulation, and let it slip. The structure was sound, the commitment obvious. What they lacked was a touch more quality in the box and a bit of luck. Their goalkeeper wasn’t overworked, their center-backs won their share of duels, and yet they exit on a single sequence that they couldn’t track.
The broader context is worth noting. This Club World Cup is larger, longer, and more demanding. Neutral venues flatten home-field edges and reward teams that travel well and manage the rhythm of tournament play. Palmeiras did just enough of that here. The quarterfinals await after a short turnaround — precious time to recover, reassess, and see if Veiga’s status improves. The opponent comes from the adjacent tie on the bracket, and the game plan will skew to freshness as much as tactics.
Key moments from a cagey knockout:
- First half: Weverton smothers chances from Nathan Fernandes and Joaquín Correa; Marçal heads wide at the back post.
- Second half: Renato Pavia misses Botafogo’s best look, pulling his shot past the far post.
- 100': Paulinho arrives off the bench and finishes a low cross for 1-0.
- 116': Gustavo Gómez sees a second yellow for an off-the-ball incident; Palmeiras close it out with 10 men.
On nights like this, heroes are usually the ones you didn’t script. Paulinho’s name will carry this match in headlines, but it was the spine — Weverton, Ríos, and a back line that managed chaos after the red — that made the result stick. Palmeiras advances, the narrative flips, and a path opens in a tournament that rarely gives second chances.