Palmeiras starts preparation for the final with rest and game on TV

Palmeiras started their preparation for the World Cup decision giving priority to rest. Only goalkeeper Weverton and the reserves went to the field of Zayed Sports City Stadium, in Abu Dhabi, this Wednesday (9), while the holders did some regenerative work at the hotel where the alviverde delegation is staying.

After negative tests for Covid-19, family members of the players were released to meet them and have lunch with them. The atmosphere was one of tranquility and fraternization, despite the tension involved in the final match, against Chelsea, scheduled for 13:30 (GMT) on Saturday (12), at the Mohammed Byn Zayed stadium.

The athletes followed the 1-0 victory of the London team over Al Hilal on a big screen, a result that defined the second finalist in the United Arab Emirates. The European champion had a hard time against the Asian champion and was under pressure in the second half, after having scored the only goal of the game in the first half, with Lukaku.

Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira was at the stadium alongside performance analysts Tiago Costa and Rafael Costa. He observed the good plays built by Chelsea by the wing and realized the difficulty that causes the strength of the striker Lukaku. But he also saw defensive weaknesses that could be exploited, such as marking from the left side.

Palmeiras had already assured the day before their presence in the decision. Against Al Ahly, from Egypt, the South American champion prevailed and won 2-0, with goals from Raphael Veiga and Dudu. When they grew up in the duel and rehearsed a pressure, the African champions were already at a disadvantage of two goals and were not able to change directions.

“The atmosphere is very pleasant, very peaceful”, observed right-back Marcos Rocha, relieved with the victory without any surprises. “Yesterday [terça], we knew what we had to do. There was a plan very well prepared by Abel, by the direction, who managed to put together a fantastic structure for us to adapt to everything.”

Now the challenge is greater. The title went to a club from Europe in the last eight editions of the World Cup. The last representative of the old continent to lose the cup, however, was precisely Chelsea, which was defeated by Corinthians in 2012 and did not have a strong debut in the current tournament.

“Football doesn’t fool us anymore. Everyone prepares very well, and we faced a team that invested millions to be here”, said defender Thiago Silva, who sees no advantage on either side in the decision. “Palmeiras is big and is stronger with the presence of the fans here. We are also strong. I don’t think they have favoritism”, concluded the beque of the English team.