Fluminense RJ and Palmeiras SP finished 0-0 in the Copa Libertadores at Estadio Jornalista Mário Filho (Maracanã). The home side held the ball for most of the night, Palmeiras barely touched it, and neither team put a shot on target.

Match Summary

The shape of the night was clear from the start. Fluminense set up in a 4-2-3-1, with Fábio behind Thiago Silva and Hulk leading the line. Palmeiras used a 3-4-2-1, Carlos Miguel in goal and J. López as the lone forward.

Nothing in the first half changed the score. Nothing in the second half did either. Facundo Tello refereed a Copa Libertadores match that never produced a goal, a shot on target, or a corner. Nonato and Martinelli sat in front of the Fluminense defence, while A. Canobbio, PH Ganso and J. Savarino started behind Hulk. Palmeiras, with Murilo, G. Gómez and A. Barboza in the back three and Andreas Pereira and Marlon Freitas in midfield, ended the night without a recorded attempt. A. Giay and J. Piquerez started wide in the 3-4-2-1. J. Arias and Lucas Evangelista started ahead of them. The score never moved.

Key Moments

The first decisive fact was Fluminense's failure to turn a 74 percent share of possession into a shot on target. Territorial control never became a lead, which is why a one-sided night on the ball still finished level.

Palmeiras' blank shot column mattered as much as the scoreline. The visitors did not attempt a shot and still took a point, because Fluminense's only attempt of the match missed the target.

Expected goals of 0.1 for the hosts and 0.0 for Palmeiras showed how little quality sat behind the 0-0. The stalemate fit the chance data rather than defying it.

There were no corners and no cards, so neither a set piece nor a sending-off arrived to break the 0-0.

Match Statistics

Possession told one story and the rest of the sheet told another. Fluminense had 74 percent of the ball to Palmeiras' 26. The hosts managed one shot, the visitors none. Shots on target were none apiece. Corners were none apiece. Expected goals read 0.1 against 0.0. There were no yellow cards and no red cards. The numbers describe a Copa Libertadores stalemate with almost no attacking product.

See also

• Fluminense RJ vs Palmeiras SP live score
• AltBets live scores
• AltBets tips
• Match recaps