Palmeiras start Paulista knockouts with new squad, 2025 holdovers | OneFootball

Palmeiras begins the knockout stage of the Paulista Championship this Saturday, seeking their first trophy of the season. However, the scenario is different from the one that marked recent years of state dominance: the squad has undergone a significant overhaul.

Compared to the 2025 quarterfinals, when Verdão defeated São Bernardo 3-0, only five of the 16 players used in that match remain at the club and are still available.

Among those who played in that victory and are still part of the squad are defenders Murilo and Bruno Fuchs, midfielder Emiliano Martínez, and forwards Felipe Anderson and Flaco López. On that occasion, the goals were scored by Estêvão, now at Chelsea, and Flaco.

The lineup for that match was: Weverton; Marcos Rocha, Murilo, Micael (Bruno Fuchs), and Vanderlan; Emiliano Martínez (Aníbal Moreno), Ríos, and Raphael Veiga; Facundo Torres (Felipe Anderson), Estêvão (Mayke), and Flaco López (Thalys). Coach: Abel Ferreira.

From the squad that won the 2024 Paulista title, only Marcelo Lomba, Gustavo Gómez, Murilo, Piquerez, and Flaco López remain at the Football Academy.

New core and new faces

The current group has 11 players who took part in the 2025 state championship but were not on the 2024 title-winning squad and are still seeking their first trophy with the club. They are: Allan, Benedetti, Bruno Fuchs, Emiliano Martínez, Felipe Anderson, Figueiredo, Giay, Luighi, Maurício, Vitor Roque, and Paulinho – the latter did not play in the previous edition due to injury.

In addition, ten athletes are playing in the Paulista for the first time in the green and white shirt: Andreas Pereira, Aranha, Carlos Miguel, Jefté, Jhon Arias, Khellven, Larson, Lucas Evangelista, Marlon Freitas, and Ramón Sosa.

Overhaul in progress

The process of change began back in 2025, with the departures of key names such as Dudu, Zé Rafael, Marcos Rocha, Mayke, and Rony. The overhaul continued the following season, with the farewells of Weverton and Raphael Veiga.

On the other hand, the club invested heavily in the last transfer window and signed 12 players, betting on names seen as part of the future of the project, among them Carlos Miguel, Andreas Pereira, Paulinho, and Vitor Roque.

For 2026, midfielder Marlon Freitas and attacking midfielder Jhon Arias also arrived, with Arias possibly making his debut this Saturday at 8:30 p.m. (Brasília time) against Capivariano. After three runner-up finishes last season—Paulista, Brasileiro, and Libertadores—Palmeiras is trying to blend youth with new experience to overcome last year’s frustrations.

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