Palmeiras unbeaten in Copa do Brasil quarters under Abel, face Capivariano | OneFootball

Palmeiras returns to the field this Saturday (21), at 8:30 PM (Brasília time), to face Capivariano in the quarterfinals of the Campeonato Paulista, at the Arena Barueri. And judging by recent history, the Verdão fans have plenty of reasons to be confident.

Since Abel Ferreira took over as head coach, Palmeiras has turned the State Championship quarterfinals into an almost routine stage. Between 2021 and 2025, Verdão played five matches at this stage—and won them all.

In 2021, they overcame Red Bull Bragantino 1-0. The following year, they beat Ituano 2-0. In 2023, they defeated São Bernardo 1-0. In 2024, they thrashed Ponte Preta 5-1. And in the latest edition, in 2025, they faced São Bernardo again and won 3-0 away from home. This streak established an important milestone: a 100% success rate in the quarterfinals under the Portuguese coach.

More than just the numbers, the performance shows consistency. Palmeiras not only advanced on every occasion, but also maintained defensive solidity, conceding just one goal in five matches and showing decisiveness in single-elimination games—a hallmark of the Abel era.

Now, in 2026, the scenario repeats itself: knockout stage, decisive match, and the natural pressure for results. The difference is the opponent. Capivariano comes in on a high and dreams of pulling off an upset at Arena Barueri, while Palmeiras relies on the experience gained in recent years to stay strong in the pursuit of another semifinal, even with a completely revamped squad.

The recent journey in the State Championship shows that Verdão has learned to play this type of match with maturity and efficiency. If they maintain the standard shown in recent seasons, the Verdão team comes in as the favorite to extend their run and secure a spot among the state's top four once again.

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