Barueri gives Palmeiras the edge to take the lead in Paulista final | OneFootball

Once viewed with some skepticism by the fans, Arena Barueri became an ally of Palmeiras in 2026. Abel Ferreira's team has a good track record at the stadium this season to gain an advantage in the final of the Campeonato Paulista, against Novorizontino.

The numbers for Verdão in Barueri this year are very good. In eight matches played, there were seven wins and only one draw, with 19 goals scored and five conceded. The success rate is 91.6%.

The stadium was the target of criticism from coach Abel Ferreira in the recent past. The tone has changed, and now the arena receives praise from the Portuguese coach.

In a press conference last Tuesday, at the headquarters of the FPF (Paulista Football Federation), Abel highlighted the synthetic grass of Barueri, although he emphasizes that Allianz Parque should have renovated the field some time ago. He laments that the team has not yet played at home this season.

“We are not playing [at Allianz] because things were not done in time. There's no point in talking about processes that should have been done in advance. I always defend quality, whether synthetic or natural. The synthetic grass in Barueri is spectacular. The ball rolls, it doesn't bounce, and it provides conditions for a good show,” said the coach.

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The finals of Paulistão 2026 will be played this Wednesday and Sunday. The first leg takes place at Arena Barueri, with Palmeiras as the host. The second match will be in Novo Horizonte.

Currently the state runner-up, Palmeiras is seeking its 27th Paulistão title. Last year, the team lost the final to its archrival Corinthians. The Alviverde has seven wins, one draw, and two losses in the current edition of the tournament and defeated Capivariano and São Paulo to reach the final for the seventh consecutive year.

Novorizontino, on the other hand, is trying to lift the state trophy for the first time in its history. The Tiger boasts the best campaign of this edition of the tournament, with seven victories, one draw, and two losses, having left behind Santos and Corinthians.

Finals Details

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