Not even a full year ago, they delivered a spectacle in the Copa Libertadores — but tonight in Philadelphia, Palmeiras and Botafogo offered nothing close to that kind of football. In fact, their Round of 16 clash at the FIFA Club World Cup looked like a typical encounter between two South American sides: full of passion, effort, and aggression — with a double-digit number of cards — but very little actual quality on the pitch. And for that, much of the blame lies with Botafogo, whose defensive approach — similar to what they used during the group stage — was aimed at “killing” the game. Their goal was to shut down all access to their goal and wait for a chance on the counter, hoping for a moment like the one they had against Paris Saint-Germain. As time wore on, it even seemed like they would’ve been content to take it to penalties. But they never made it that far. Instead, Palmeiras eliminated the reigning South American champions with a moment of brilliance from substitute Paulinho in the first period of extra time: 1-0. It was a sweet revenge for Palmeiras after Botafogo knocked them out in the same stage of last year’s Copa Libertadores.100′ GOAL!! ⚽Paulinho breaks through for @Palmeiras in the Extra Time and Verdão is closer to the quarter-finals! 🐷Watch the @FIFACWC | June 14 – July 13 | Every Game | Free | https://t.co/i0K4eUtwwb | #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld #SEPBOT pic.twitter.com/8wNxnv3HQU— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) June 28, 2025 Some might say Palmeiras “squeaked through” with a narrow win over Seattle Sounders in their opening match — backed up by the fact the American team had twice as many shots — but when all is said and done, Botafogo was one of the most pleasant surprises of the Club World Cup group stage. They defeated Paris Saint-Germain, and were just minutes away from topping the so-called “group of death,” which understandably raised expectations. But now, the reigning South American champions are packing their bags after the Round of 16 — and based on what they showed in the last two hours, it’s a completely deserved exit.CWC: European clubs already earned the mostFor a long stretch, Botafogo looked powerless to even pose a threat — they finished the match with just two shots on target, both of them rather harmless. In truth, the team from Rio de Janeiro didn’t even try too hard to attack. Under relentless pressure from Palmeiras, their only real aim was to survive and somehow drag the game to penalties. In fact, they nearly ended up punished by those very penalties — Palmeiras players appealed twice for a spot-kick during extra time after Igor Jesus clearly handled the ball in front of goal. They had every right to ask for it, but François Letexier didn’t point to the spot. In the end, justice was done when Paulinho struck a beautiful goal in the 100th minute to seal the win for Palmeiras.FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP 20251/8 finalsSaturdayPalmeiras – Botafogo 0-0 1-0 AET/Paulinho 10/23.00: (3.40) Benfica (3.40) Chelsea (2.15)Sunday19.00: (1.22) PSG (7.00) Inter Miami (11.0)23.00: (5.30) Flamengo (3.60) Bayern (1.70)Monday19.00: (1.80) Inter (3.50) Fluminense (4.70)Tuesday04.00: (1.35) Manchester City (5.00) Al-Hilal (9.00)22.00: (1.67) Real Madrid (3.70) Juventus (5.50)Wednesday04.00: (1.80) Dortmund (3.60) Monterrey (4.60)***odds are subject to change***
