Analysis: opening draw in the Brasileirão exposes Palmeiras’ weaknesses | OneFootball

Palmeiras earned just one point in their debut in the Brazilian Championship this Wednesday with a 2-2 draw against Atlético-MG. The match exposed an issue that has already set off alarm bells for the team at the start of the season: defensive fragility.

Abel Ferreira has adopted a rotation system at the start of the season to test the squad and avoid unnecessary wear and tear on some players. For the Brasileirão debut, the coach, who had been fielding quite different lineups from one game to another, made just one change: Murilo came in for Bruno Fuchs.

Meanwhile, in attack, he kept Ramón Sosa as a starter, while Vitor Roque began on the bench. Murilo was among those who failed to mark Victor Hugo, who scored the first equalizer, slipping the ball under Carlos Miguel, shortly after Flaco López opened the scoring with a header, taking advantage of Andreas Pereira's aerial ball from a corner kick.

Lack of efficiency was another problem

Palmeiras did not play a brilliant game, but had the chance to take all three points. The lack of efficiency, however, cost them a better result. Even after going into halftime with the score tied, Verdão came back focused for the second half and, pressing Galo, had two consecutive chances to score, with Mauricio and Sosa, both stopped by saves from Everson.

If you don’t score…

After missing the chance to retake the lead, Palmeiras saw Galo turn the match around, but the play was ruled out for offside in the 16th minute. Just over ten minutes later, Khellven made a mistake on a clearance and scored an own goal.

Vitor Roque comes off the bench and secures the draw

Vitor Roque has not yet had the chance to start alongside Flaco López and is awaiting his return to the starting eleven after being under the care of the Health and Performance Center due to knee pain. The number 9 broke his duck in his fourth game of the season. He was set up by Carlos Miguel, controlled the ball and, after missing his first chance, took advantage of the rebound to make it 2-2.

Palmeiras’ next match

Match: Botafogo-SP vs Palmeiras Date and time: February 1, 2026 (Sunday), at 8:30 PM (Brasília time) Competition: Campeonato Paulista (6th round) Venue: Arena NicNet, in Ribeirão Preto (SP)

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