Palmeiras must bounce back in the Brasileirão before next big test | OneFootball

Palmeiras left Asunción with qualification for the CONMEBOL Libertadores quarterfinals secured, but they will not have much time to celebrate. After beating Cerro Porteño 1-0 and confirming a place among the top eight teams in the continental competition, Verdão must turn its attention back to the Brazilian Championship and, after that, will face another crucial match in the Copa do Brasil.

The team coached by Abel Ferreira is going through a more unstable period in the Brasileirão. Palmeiras remains top of the table with 48 points from 23 matches, but saw its lead over Flamengo cut to just three points. The Rubro-Negro has 45 points and still has a game in hand. The gap, which once reached eight points, has shrunk considerably in recent rounds.

The drop in form was evident in the last few matches. Before qualifying in the Libertadores, Palmeiras drew 0-0 with Internacional in the Brasileirão and then lost 3-2 to Fluminense after surrendering the lead at the Maracanã. That same weekend, Flamengo thrashed Mirassol 5-1 and moved to within touching distance of the top spot.

Libertadores qualification eases pressure, but does not solve everything

If the recent performances in the Brazilian Championship are cause for concern, continental qualification brought an important boost for the squad. Palmeiras drew 1-1 with Cerro Porteño in the first leg and won 1-0 in Paraguay, with a header from Gustavo Gómez, securing a place in the quarterfinals.

The result also gave the club a historic milestone: Palmeiras reached the Libertadores quarterfinals for the 14th time, becoming the outright Brazilian club with the most appearances at this stage of the competition.

Now, the opponent will be LDU, which eliminated Mirassol on penalties. The tie will have a special factor: the second leg will be played in Quito, at approximately 2,800 meters above sea level. The matches are scheduled for September 8 to 10 and September 15 to 17.

Copa do Brasil puts Santos in their path

Before thinking about the Libertadores again, however, Palmeiras will have another decisive match ahead. Their opponent in the Copa do Brasil quarterfinals will be Santos, in a São Paulo state derby that promises to increase the pressure on Palmeiras’ schedule even more.

The first match will be played on August 26 at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time), at Nubank Parque. The return leg is scheduled for the week of September 2, with Santos as the home team.

This will be the third meeting between Palmeiras and Santos in the history of the Copa do Brasil. The winner will advance to the semifinals and remain in contention for the national title.

The situation of the rivals in the Brasileirão, however, is quite different. Santos comes into the Copa do Brasil quarterfinals under pressure near the bottom of the table. Before the current round, Peixe was in 17th place, with 22 points from 21 matches.

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