Palmeiras effectively conceded the Brazilian national football championship title race to rivals Flamengo by fielding a heavily rotated squad and losing to Grêmio, signaling a clear focus on the upcoming Copa Libertadores final.
Flamengo, with 75 points, now leads Palmeiras, holding 70 points, by five points with only two matches remaining in the league season. Flamengo needs just two more points to secure their eighth Brasileirão title.
The decision by Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira to rest nearly all his key players for Tuesday’s 3-2 loss against Grêmio came after he had publicly indicated a shift in priorities following an earlier league match. His squad is now fully reserved for Saturday’s Copa Libertadores championship match, where they will face Flamengo.
In Porto Alegre, Palmeiras initially took a 1-0 lead with a goal from Facundo Torres in the 24th minute. Grêmio equalized just before halftime through Amuzu in the 45th minute.
Grêmio then took the lead in the second half with a penalty goal from former Benfica player Carlos Vinicius in the 61st minute. Willian extended Grêmio’s lead to 3-1, also from the penalty spot in the 85th minute, after Palmeiras’ Giay was sent off.
Palmeiras managed a late consolation goal from Benedetti in the 93rd minute, but it was not enough to change the outcome.
Following the match, Abel Ferreira expressed frustration over past refereeing decisions. “After the São Paulo game, everyone at the club understood what was happening,” Ferreira said in a press conference, adding, “It wasn’t Palmeiras that gave up. It didn’t give up on the penalty at Maracanã, it didn’t give up on the penalty from Santos, it didn’t give up on the penalty from Vitória.”
Meanwhile, Flamengo secured a crucial point by drawing 1-1 against Atlético Mineiro in Mineirão. Bernard scored for Atlético in the 34th minute, but Bruno Henrique salvaged the draw for Flamengo with an equalizer in the 92nd minute.
With six points still in play, Flamengo is on the cusp of its eighth league title. They will host Ceará next Wednesday and visit Mirassol on December 7.
Palmeiras will play away against Atlético Mineiro and then visit Ceará in their final league fixture. If Flamengo secures only one point in its remaining games, it would need Palmeiras to drop points because Palmeiras holds the tie-breaking advantage based on total wins if both teams finish with equal points.