Palmeiras are through to the Club World Cup quarter-finals, and they have Paulinho to thank for it. The Brazilian winger came off the bench to score in extra time and hand his team a tight win over rivals Botafogo.
The match was a slow burn – not too many chances, a lot of physical battles, and the kind of tension you’d expect when two big Brazilian clubs go head-to-head. But just when it looked like penalties were around the corner, Paulinho stepped up.
The game needed a miracle, and Paulinho delivered. In the 100th minute, he picked up the ball on the right, cut inside, and drilled a low shot past Botafogo’s keeper John. That one goal was enough.
Botafogo had been holding strong, and Palmeiras had a few chances earlier on – Vitor Roque came close, and Richard Rios had a shot just skim the top of the net before halftime. But nothing really clicked in the final third until Paulinho’s moment of quality.
As if things weren’t tense enough, Palmeiras finished the match with just 10 players. Their captain, Gustavo Gomez, got a second yellow card late in the game and was sent off. That gave Botafogo a bit of hope, and they pushed hard in the final minutes.
Igor Jesus and Vitinho Both Came Close to Scoring an Equaliser, But Palmeiras Held On.
This game wasn’t just about the result – there’s history between these two. Back in 2023, Palmeiras pulled off a crazy comeback against Botafogo to win the league. Then, in 2024, Botafogo knocked Palmeiras out of the Copa Libertadores. So yeah, this match meant a lot on both sides.
Paulinho isn’t just scoring goals – he’s doing it while coming back from a leg injury. The team’s been easing him back into action, and it’s working. He also scored in their last group-stage match against Inter Miami to help them avoid an early exit.
Another young star, Estevao Willian, also looked sharp. The 18-year-old winger – who’s already signed a deal to join Chelsea – gave the Botafogo defence trouble before being subbed off. He even had a goal ruled out for offside.
If Chelsea manage to beat Benfica in their next match, Estevao might just get to face his future team in the semi-final.
Palmeiras have been solid defensively this whole tournament. They’ve kept clean sheets in three of their four games – the best record in the Club World Cup so far.
And their substitutes are making a big impact. Four of their goals in the tournament have come from players coming off the bench – again, more than any other team.
Now they wait to see whether they’ll face Chelsea or Benfica next. Either way, with their defence holding up and players like Paulinho and Estevao stepping up, Palmeiras are looking like serious contenders.
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