Another chapter in the heated rivalry between Sao Paulo and Palmeiras will be the focal point this week in the second leg of their Copa do Brasil tie on Thursday at Allianz Parque.
The opening leg in this duel was won by Tricolor Paulista 1-0 just a few days after Palestra had beaten them on their home field 2-1 in the Brasileiro Serie A.
Match preview
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In this pivotal second leg, Palmeiras are stepping into somewhat foreign territory, having to come from behind to move onto the next phase of this competition.
It is the first time that they are trailing a round of 16 Copa do Brasil tie since 2014, when they lost 1-0 in the opening fixture versus Atletico Mineiro and were beaten 2-0 in leg number two.
To avoid a similar fate on Thursday, Abel Ferreira will be counting on his wingers to do a better job at creating overloads to one side of the field, and in the process generating more scoring opportunities, failing to register a shot on target in the opening encounter.
As patient as they generally are, Verdao have had a few defensive lapses at home in recent games, conceding first in two of their last three fixtures played in all competitions at Allianz Parque.
While they still lead the Brasileiro Serie A in goals (27), Palmeiras have had some moments lately in which they have struggled in the final third, without a goal in two of their last three matches.
Part of what has made them such a successful team throughout the year has been their quick, transitional approach, which is direct and capable of catching their opponents off guard, scoring three or more goals on 13 successive occasions in 2022.
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Sao Paulo quickly learned from their past mistakes in the opening match of this tie, tallying first but holding the fort from there and keeping their potent arch-rivals in check.
Never making the same mistake is easier said than done, but that is the mark of a good team who can learn and adapt quickly.
Rogerio Ceni saw that from his group just a few days after they had let a 1-0 lead versus Palmeiras slip away, conceding twice in injury time to lose 2-1 before their impressive opening leg victory.
They would be wise to remember what happened the previous time they faced Palestra in a two-leg affair, when Sao Paulo held a 3-1 lead heading into the deciding fixture of the Paulistao final only to lose the second match 4-0 away from home.
Over the past couple of months, we have seen them look more organised and composed on the back end than they did in that aforementioned encounter, conceding a goal or fewer in eight of their previous nine road games in all competitions.
Currently on a six-match unbeaten run in all competitions, they have done well to win loose balls in the middle of the pitch while also excellently cutting off time and space in their third of the field.
A good omen for Sao Paulo coming into this deciding game could be that they have not been eliminated in each of their previous three knockout stage ties where they have led going into the second leg.
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Team News
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Weverton has seven clean sheets domestically this season for Palmeiras after making six stops in their 0-0 draw over the weekend versus Fortaleza.
A brace from Raphael Veiga and goals from Danilo and Ze Rafael helped them come from behind to beat Sao Paulo for the Paulistao title earlier this year.
Rony and Gustavo Gomez, who lead the team domestically with seven and six goals respectively, are searching for their first in this competition, as is Dudu, who has three goals in his career against Tricolor Paulista.
Rafael Navarro has a problem in his thigh which could keep him out until late July, while Gabriel Veron has a foot injury and is not expected back in time for this encounter.
Patrick tallied in the 31st minute for Sao Paulo in their opening leg of this tie, while the back three of Diego Costa, Robert Arboleda and Leo, with the help of holding midfielder Gabriel Neves, held the visitors to zero shots on target.
That was the second successive clean sheet for Jandrei at this competition, while Luciano has four goals in his last two road fixtures, both of which came in their two-leg triumph over Universidad Catolica (8-3 aggregate) in the Copa Sudamericana.
Nikao and Gabriel Sara remain out with ankle issues, Alisson has a sprained knee, while Andres Colorado and Luan have thigh issues.
Arboleda has a broken ankle, Andres Anderson has a muscle injury and Caio is done for the season with a torn ACL.
Palmeiras possible starting lineup:
Weverton; Piquerez, Murilo, Gomez, Mayke; Ze Rafael, Scarpa; Wesley, Dudu, Lopes; Rony
Sao Paulo possible starting lineup:
Jandrei; Costa, Arboleda, Leo; Neves; Vinicius, Reinaldo, Gomes, Patrick; Calleri, Eder
We say: Palmeiras 1-0 Sao Paulo (Palmeiras advance on penalties)
We anticipate this match will go down to the wire with neither side giving an inch, and if so it could be decided by a test of who has a stronger mettle.
There are good arguments for each side to win, but ultimately, we are choosing Palestra, who look hungrier than ever to win everything possible, and they always seem to find another level in these big matches.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Joel Lefevre
