Fluminense Faces an Impregnable Palmeiras in the Copa Libertadores Semifinals

Fluminense and Palmeiras open the Libertadores semifinals at the Maracanã

The Flu Veterans

Fluminense, led by the ageless Fábio, Thiago Silva, and Hulk, all over 40 years old, will kick off the Copa Libertadores semifinals on Wednesday at the Maracanã against a Palmeiras that has regained its defensive strength.

The two Brazilian teams face off in Rio de Janeiro in a knockout match where 'Verdão' is favored to repeat the 2025 final, when they lost the title to Flamengo, another semifinalist this year along with Estudiantes de La Plata.

The 'Flu' won't make it easy for them. Whenever it has reached the penultimate round of the tournament, the Carioca team has reached the grand final. In 2008, it knocked out Boca Juniors, and in 2023, when it won its first and only Libertadores, it eliminated Internacional.

Few could have imagined that the Rio de Janeiro team would go so far after an irregular start to the season, including a change of coach.

A complicated start but it worked

The Argentine Luis Zubeldía was dismissed in August after a bad streak, and the management turned to their usual ace in the hole: Marcão, the in-house assistant coach.

This time, however, the club confirmed him in the position with a contract until the end of the season.

It was a wise decision, as the team has not stopped growing since then. They overcame Independiente Rivadavia in the round of 16 and Platense in the quarterfinals, in two very hard-fought eliminations that were decided on Argentine soil.

Under Marcão's management, three players aged 40 or older have regained their best form: goalkeeper Fábio (46), center-back Thiago Silva (42), and forward Hulk (40).

Around those three pillars, the Colombian defender Julián Millán, the Argentine attacking midfielder Lucho Acosta, and the Venezuelan winger Jefferson Savarino complete an extremely well-oiled eleven.

Last Sunday, 'Flu' lost 1-0 in the Carioca derby against Flamengo in a match of the Brazilian Championship that they approached with a mixed lineup, between starters and substitutes, thinking about the duel against Palmeiras.

Palmeiras regains its strength

For its part, the São Paulo team seems to have overcome the slump experienced after the break for the 2026 World Cup.

After a 2025 without titles, something unprecedented since the Portuguese Abel Ferreira took over the bench in November 2020, Palmeiras faces this final stretch of the season with the chance to achieve a historic treble.

They are second in the 'Brasileirão', one point behind the leader Flamengo; they are in the semifinals of the Copa do Brasil and are on the verge of repeating their presence in the Libertadores final.

Ferreira will not be able to be in the technical area of the Maracanã due to a sanction, but his pupils arrive with their homework done.

On Sunday, they swept Corinthians in the Brazilian League (4-1).

With a line of three center-backs, formed by Murilo, the Paraguayan Gustavo Gómez, and the Argentine Alexander Barboza, 'Verdão' has regained the strength on which it built the continental titles of 2020 and 2021.

This will be the thirteenth Libertadores semifinal in Palmeiras' history, which also boasts a devastating attack, with Colombian Jhon Arias, Brazilian Vitor Roque, and Argentine 'Flaco' López, who has three goals and four assists in the competition.

Moreover, it will be decided at home. The return leg, next Wednesday in São Paulo.

Possible Lineups

Fluminense: Fábio; Guga, Thiago Silva, Julián Millán, Guilherme Arana; Martinelli, Nonato, Lucho Acosta; Jefferson Savarino, Kevin Serna (o Agustín Canobbio) and Hulk.

Palmeiras: Carlos Miguel; Joaquín Piquerez, Murilo, Gustavo Gómez, Alexander Barboza, Agustín Giay; Lucas Evangelista, Andreas Pereira, Jhon Arias; Vitor Roque and 'Flaco' López. EFE