Group A finely poised after goalless draw between Palmeiras and Porto

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Palmeiras and two-time European champion Porto tied 0-0 in their opening match of the Club World Cup on Sunday night before a crowd of 46,275 at MetLife Stadium, which was just over half full.

Estevão’s left-footed shot in first-half stoppage time went into the hands of Claúdio Ramos, and Richard Ríos’ attempt off the rebound was blocked.

Palmeiras, Brazil’s club champion in 2022 and ‘23, qualified as the 2021 Copa Libertadores winner, while Porto reached the tournament as Europe’s fifth-ranked eligible team over a four-year period.

Palmeiras had a 17-11 advantage in shots and 55.3% possession. Its fans took over a side of the stadium, waving flags and cheering or the entire match.

Key Moment

Ramos’ double save in first-half stoppage time.

Takeaways

There is a four-way tie in Group A, which opened with Inter Miami and Al Ahly’s drawing 0-0 on Saturday.

Palmeiras will face 12 -time African champion Al Ahly on Thursday in East Rutherford and Porto will play Miami the same day in Atlanta.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer