Braithwaite reacted faster than his marker and finished cleanly
En las noches de copa, el fútbol sudamericano traza con precisión sus jerarquías: Gremio, con la autoridad de quien conoce bien estos escenarios, despachó a Palestino en Porto Alegre y cerró la historia del equipo chileno en esta edición de la Copa Sudamericana. Dos goles, un dominio sin fisuras y la matemática implacable dejaron al conjunto de Santiago sin camino posible hacia los octavos de final. Lo que comenzó en el minuto tres ya anunciaba el desenlace.
- Gremio golpeó casi sin aviso: a los tres minutos, Braithwaite aprovechó un rebote para abrir el marcador y colocar a Palestino en una posición de la que nunca pudo recuperarse.
- El equipo chileno, con apenas dos puntos en el grupo, llegaba ya al límite de sus opciones, y la derrota terminó de cerrar cualquier resquicio matemático de avance.
- Pavón y Mec manejaron el partido con comodidad, mientras la defensa de Palestino no logró organizarse para frenar el ritmo brasileño.
- Los intentos de reacción chilena —un disparo de León, una ocasión desperdiciada por Gallegos, un remate detenido por Weverton— fueron insuficientes y esporádicos.
- Gremio, con diez puntos, se proyecta hacia la última jornada ante Montevideo City Torque con la posibilidad de liderar el grupo F y clasificar directamente a octavos.
La campaña de Palestino en la Copa Sudamericana llegó a su fin el miércoles por la noche en Porto Alegre, donde Gremio resolvió el encuentro con una eficiencia que no dejó lugar a la duda. Los goles de Braithwaite, al minuto tres, y de Pavón, en el 67, bastaron para eliminar al conjunto chileno de la competencia. Con solo dos puntos en el grupo, Palestino ya no tiene opciones matemáticas de avanzar.
El partido se definió casi desde el inicio. Un disparo de Pavón que Sebastián Pérez no pudo controlar dejó el rebote en los pies de Braithwaite, quien no perdonó. Ese gol temprano desarticuló cualquier plan que el técnico Guillermo Farré hubiera trazado, pese a los resultados positivos que el entrenador había conseguido en el fútbol local. Palestino nunca encontró el ritmo para inquietar a un Gremio que manejó el partido con tranquilidad.
En el segundo tiempo, algunas ocasiones aisladas —una de Gallegos, otra de Munder que detuvo Weverton, convocado al Mundial 2026 con Brasil— fueron lo más cercano que estuvo Palestino al gol. No fue suficiente. El tanto de Pavón selló la clasificación brasileña y abrió la puerta de salida para el equipo chileno.
Gremio, líder del grupo F con diez puntos, cerrará su fase de grupos en casa ante Montevideo City Torque. Una victoria les daría el primer lugar y el pase directo a octavos de final; cualquier otro resultado los llevaría a un repechaje. Para Palestino, el torneo ya es historia.
Palestino's Copa Sudamericana campaign came to an end on Wednesday night in Porto Alegre, where Gremio dismantled the Chilean side 2-0 with clinical efficiency. The Brazilian club's victory, built on goals from Martin Braithwaite in the third minute and Cristian Pavón in the 67th, eliminated Palestino from the competition entirely. With only two points accumulated across their group matches, the Santiago-based team now has no mathematical path to advancement, while Gremio sits atop Group F with ten points and a chance to claim the group title in their final fixture.
The match was always going to be consequential for both teams, but it turned decisively in Gremio's favor almost immediately. Pavón fired from distance, and when Palestino's Sebastián Pérez could only parry the shot into a dangerous area, Braithwaite—the former Barcelona striker—reacted faster than his marker and finished cleanly. It was a goal that seemed to catch Palestino off guard, arriving so early that it belied the work Guillermo Farré had been doing since taking over as coach. Farré had overseen a period of positive results in domestic competitions, but those gains offered little protection against Gremio's attacking prowess on this night.
Palestino never found an answer to the Brazilian team's rhythm. Pavón operated with freedom down the flank, while Gabriel Mec controlled the tempo through the middle, and Palestino's defense could not establish the kind of organized resistance needed to slow them down. Jason León managed one long-range attempt in the first half that carried some threat, and Ian Alegría tried to inject himself into the attack, but Gremio's backline remained composed and unmoved. The Chilean visitors offered little in the way of sustained pressure.
The second half brought marginal improvement from Palestino, though it yielded no goals. Sebastián Gallegos squandered a clear counterattacking opportunity, and César Munder found himself denied by Weverton, Gremio's goalkeeper who had been called up to Brazil's 2026 World Cup squad. These were the closest Palestino came to scoring, and they were not close enough. Pavón's second-half goal put the match beyond doubt and sent Palestino toward the exit.
Gremio's path forward remains open. Under coach Luís Castro, they will host Montevideo City Torque in their final group match at home in Porto Alegre. A victory would secure first place and direct passage to the round of 16. A loss or draw would relegate them to a playoff against one of the eliminated Copa Libertadores teams. Montevideo City currently leads the group with twelve points. Deportivo Riestra, with four points, has also been eliminated. For Palestino, the tournament is finished.
Notable Quotes
Gremio will host Montevideo City Torque in their final group match, where a victory would secure first place and direct passage to the round of 16.— Match context and tournament structure
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did Palestino's coach Farré seem to have things working before this match, but it all fell apart so quickly?
Farré had built something solid in the local league, but international competition is a different animal. Gremio came in with a clear attacking structure—Pavón and Mec were too much to handle—and Palestino's defense wasn't organized enough to absorb that pressure. The early goal probably shook them psychologically too.
That third-minute goal from Braithwaite—was it a defensive error, or just clinical finishing?
It was both. Pérez's parry was soft, but Braithwaite was sharper than everyone else in that moment. He read the rebound and was already moving. That's the difference between teams at this level.
Palestino had chances in the second half. Did they ever feel like they could get back into it?
Not really. Gallegos's counterattack was their best moment, but even that wasn't a clear-cut chance. Weverton made a good save on Munder, but by then the match had already been decided. Gremio controlled the game completely.
What does this mean for Gremio now?
Everything hinges on the Montevideo City match. Win that, and they're in the round of 16 directly. Anything less, and they're in a playoff. They're still in control of their own destiny, which is more than Palestino can say.