Vitor Roque steps up as Palmeiras beat Atlético-MG, Hulk scores a screamer

At Allianz Parque, Palmeiras defeated Atlético-MG 3-2 on Sunday (20), in the 15th round of the 2025 Brasileirão.

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DOMINGÃO EM FAMÍLIA COM MAIS UMA VITÓRIA NA CONTA! AVANTI, PALESTRA! 🟢🐷

🏆 Palmeiras 3x2 Atlético-MG
⚽ Lucas Evangelista, Vitor Roque e Mauricio pic.twitter.com/JbZ6f7eA7d

— SE Palmeiras (@Palmeiras) July 20, 2025

Before the game started, Richard Ríos went onto the field to bid farewell to the Verdão fans. The Colombian midfielder is transferring to Benfica.

🚨 Richard Ríos bajó a la grama del Allianz Parque a despedirse de los aficionados de #Palmeiras. Esta semana viajará a Lisboa para firmar con #Benfica 🇨🇴

👀 Los clubes ya intercambian la documentación para el traspaso pic.twitter.com/ukUDMJFwRn

— Pipe Sierra (@PSierraR) July 20, 2025

After spending some time on the bench, Ríos returned to the locker room.

Richard Ríos subiu ao relvado do Allianz Parque, tirou algumas fotos com adeptos, sentou-se no banco de suplentes e acabou por recolher aos balneários.
📸 @eroliveira_pic.twitter.com/YHKusyT7tz

— Vai Benfica 🦅 (@vaibenfica1904) July 20, 2025

When the ball rolled, Palmeiras was better in the game and controlled the actions.

EITA! 👀 Gabriel Menino foi substituído com 31 minutos do primeiro tempo por Cuca e foi direto para o vestiário no jogo contra seu ex-clube, o Palmeiras. Rômulo entrou em seu lugar. Logo em seguida, o Verdão abriu o placar com Lucas Evangelista.#FutebolNaESPNpic.twitter.com/Fcf57xPG2r

— SportsCenter Brasil (@SportsCenterBR) July 20, 2025

And, after coach Cuca substituted Gabriel Menino - ex-Verdão - and he went straight to the locker room - with 30 minutes of play, Piquerez took a corner kick on the first post, and Lucas Evangelista anticipated the marking to head the ball into Everson's foot and open the scoring for Palmeiras.

However, still in the final stretch of the first half, Hulk took a perfect free kick from the edge of the box and tied the game.

But, after the interval, Vitor Roque - taking 50kg off his back - completed the cross from the left in the area, the ball hit Junior Alonso and died in the back of Galo's goal.

Tigrinho was also decisive in the third goal, when he stole the ball from Rômulo and served Facundo Torres in the area, who rolled it to the middle for Maurício to score the third.

In stoppage time, Hulk scored another goal from a free kick for Galo and set the game on fire.

Mais dois golaços de Hulk no Campeonato Brasileiro! 🎯🦉🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/gcxEZ99zfB

— Atlético (@Atletico) July 20, 2025

🚦 How it stands

With the victory, breaking a negative sequence of three rounds without wins, Palmeiras reached 26 points and rose to fourth place.

Atlético-MG, which suffered its second consecutive defeat in the championship, remained with 20 points and in ninth place.

Verdão returns to the field next Wednesday (23), when they visit Fluminense, at Maracanã, for the 16th round of the Brasileirão.

Meanwhile, Galo hosts Atlético Bucaramanga, at Arena MRV, on Thursday (24), for the second leg of the Conmebol Sudamericana playoffs.

Atlético-MG's next game will be only next Sunday (27), when they visit Flamengo, at Maracanã, for the 17th round.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

📸 Ricardo Moreira - 2025 Getty Images