A counterattack on the stroke of halftime cracked the night open at the Maracanã. Flaco López finished it, and from that moment Palmeiras were playing the game they wanted to play, lethal on the break while Fluminense kept the ball but struggled to turn possession into clear openings.

Marlon Freitas doubled the lead on 85 minutes with a low shot from inside the box. Wesley Natã rose above the defense to head in a stoppage-time consolation in the 94th minute, too late to shift the tie but enough to send a Tricolor crowd home believing a comeback is still on.

An assistant in the dugout

Palmeiras did it without Abel Ferreira. The head coach was serving a Conmebol suspension for his red card in the quarterfinal against LDU Quito, with assistant João Martins taking charge of the first leg from the touchline. Ferreira is free to return for the second leg at the Nubank Parque.

Thiago Silva: “lapses in concentration”

Fluminense captain Thiago Silva, 41, cut a figure of restrained frustration after the final whistle.

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“I think we played well overall, apart from the two goals we conceded through lapses in concentration. I believe today’s performance gives us hope that we can go there and qualify, even with the quality Palmeiras have,” Thiago Silva told ESPN.

Flaco López, the match-winner, was more cold-eyed about where the tie now stands.

“We were very competitive and we got a big win to go and close it out at home,” the Argentina forward said to Paramount+.

What Fluminense need in São Paulo

Palmeiras take a one-goal aggregate lead into the return leg at the Nubank Parque. A draw at home sends them to the final, so Fluminense have to win by at least two clear goals to flip the tie, or by one to force extra time.

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The winner meets whoever comes through the other semifinal between defending champion Flamengo and Estudiantes de La Plata of Argentina, with the first leg in Argentina on Thursday. The final is scheduled for November 28 at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo.

Kick-off at the Nubank Parque on October 21 is at 9:30pm local time.

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