Club World Cup: Palmeiras defeat Al Ahly after weather delay

Palmeiras overcame Al Ahly 2-0 at the Club World Cup, in a match interrupted by a weather alert despite sunny skies. Goals from Jose Lopez and an own goal secured the win.

Palmeiras were 2-0 up against Egypt’s Al Ahly in the 62nd minute when alarms rang out across MetLife Stadium and every mobile phone issued the same warning: “Seek shelter inside the stadium, severe weather risk.”

The risk was lightning, yet the sun was shining brightly at the time—making the situation all the more surreal. The same 33-degree Celsius sun had contributed to Palmeiras’ sluggish first half, while Al Ahly’s defensive line collapsed from exhaustion just before the interval.

As a result, the Egyptian side had the upper hand early on, enjoying nearly 70% possession and repeatedly targeting Giay’s flank.

Even so, Estevao came close on two occasions. In the 18th minute, he beat the defence on the edge of the box but missed the target. Just two minutes later, he created a chance on the left and delivered a dangerous cross into the box—only to find no one on the end of it.

Abel makes second-half changes

For the second half, Abel Ferreira corrected a questionable first-half decision. He substituted Raphael Veiga—who had been shown a red card that was later overturned by VAR—for Mauricio. He also brought on Jose Lopez in place of Vitor Roque.

Palmeiras looked transformed by the 49th minute, when Anibal Moreno delivered a free kick from the left and, under pressure from Jose Lopez, Abou Ali headed into his own net to give the Brazilians a 1-0 lead.

Just ten minutes later, the game produced another moment of magic. With the clock at 59 minutes, Estevao collected a clearance inside his own box and found Mauricio in the middle of the park. The midfielder charged forward before sliding a perfect pass into the path of Jose Lopez. He muscled off a defender, showed composure, and slotted home past El Shenawy to make it 2-0.

Moments later came the lightning warning and a near 50-minute delay.

When play resumed, Al Ahly, with little to lose, attempted to rally. But Palmeiras held firm and moved a step closer to the second round of the Club World Cup.

This article was originally published on Trivela.