Palmeiras' Brasileirão problem shifts: from giants to the Z-4 | OneFootball

In the last two editions of the Brazilian Championship, one of the recurring questions about Palmeiras under Abel Ferreira was related to its performances against rivals competing near the top of the table. In 2026, that picture has changed.

This time, Verdão’s problem has been in matches against teams fighting relegation. Palmeiras has been dropping points against sides currently in the bottom four, precisely in a season in which the team once opened up a seven-point lead at the top.

Six matches against the current bottom four

Considering the current bottom four — Internacional, Grêmio, Remo, and Chapecoense — Palmeiras has already played six matches and has three wins and three draws, with 12 goals scored and five conceded. That adds up to 12 points won out of a possible 18, a 66.6% success rate.

The results were:

In practice, that means six points dropped against teams currently in the relegation zone.

And the last two slip-ups came in the second half of the season. Palmeiras drew 0-0 with Internacional at Nubank Parque in Round 22, and again was held to a 0-0 draw by Grêmio in Porto Alegre in Round 28.

Contrast with recent years

In 2025, Palmeiras had a 100% record against the bottom four teams. In 2024, the rate was 87.5%, while in 2023, the last year Abel Ferreira won the Brasileirão with the club, it stood at 79.1%.

In 2026, therefore, the record against the current bottom four is 66.6%, lower than in the previous three league campaigns mentioned.

The situation also stands out because Palmeiras has shown strength against opponents from different parts of the table. The team, for example, beat Flamengo 3-0 at the Maracanã and even built a seven-point lead at the top before its dip in form in the second half of the season.

Two matches still to come

Palmeiras will still have two matches against current bottom-four teams before the end of the championship: Remo and Chapecoense.

The clash against Remo will be an opportunity to turn the 1-1 draw recorded in the first half of the season at Mangueirão into a win. Against Chapecoense, Verdão won 1-0 in the first meeting, played at Nubank Parque.

Both opponents are in delicate situations in the table. Remo spent much of the championship inside the bottom four, while Chapecoense sits in last place and faces an even more difficult situation in the fight to stay up.

The detail that could make the difference

Palmeiras reached the final stretch of the Brasileirão with 57 points after 28 rounds, three behind Flamengo, which took over the lead. At the same time, the team’s form dropped considerably after the break for the World Cup.

In this scenario, the points dropped against teams near the bottom become even more significant. The draw with Grêmio, for example, came in the same round in which Flamengo beat Bragantino and opened up a three-point lead at the top.

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