Palmeiras face Cerro Porteño again in the Libertadores with changes | OneFootball

Palmeiras face Cerro Porteño this Wednesday (29) in the third round of the Libertadores group stage, in Asunción, Paraguay. The matchup comes less than a year after the teams’ most recent meetings, but with major changes to Palmeiras’ squad.

The most recent game was on May 7, 2025, in Paraguay, when Verdão won 2-0, with goals from Vitor Roque and Estêvão — both unavailable for this Wednesday’s match, but for different reasons. While Estêvão left the club to join Chelsea in England in July, Vitor Roque is injured, dealing with a problem in his left ankle, and is expected to return to the Palmeiras side in three months.

Other players who took part in that match will also not be on the field. Paulinho, for example, is still recovering from leg surgery. In addition, players such as Weverton, Vanderlan, Facundo Torres, Mayke, Estêvão, and Raphael Veiga have already left the club since then.

On that occasion, Palmeiras lined up with: Weverton, Giay, Gustavo Gómez, Bruno Fuchs (Murilo), and Vanderlan; Emiliano Martínez, Lucas Evangelista (Richard Ríos); Facundo Torres (Paulinho), Allan (Mayke), Estêvão (Raphael Veiga), and Vitor Roque.

Before that, the teams had already faced each other in April 2025 at Allianz Parque, in the second round of the group stage, with Palmeiras winning 1-0 thanks to a goal by Richard Ríos in a match marked by controversy.

While celebrating the lone goal, the Colombian made a shushing gesture toward Palmeiras’ own fans. As a result, from the second half onward he was booed every time he touched the ball, and the crowd chanted insults at the player.

Palmeiras took the field with Weverton; Bruno Fuchs, Gustavo Gómez, and Murilo; Piquerez, Emiliano Martínez, Richard Ríos, and Raphael Veiga (Felipe Anderson); Estêvão, Facundo Torres (Allan), and Vitor Roque (Flaco López).

Favorable record

Even with the changes, the recent history is heavily in Palmeiras’ favor. Under Abel Ferreira, the team has won its last six matches against Cerro Porteño. There were two in 2022, two in 2023, and two in 2025, with 16 goals scored and just one conceded.

Playing in Paraguay, the record is also noteworthy: Verdão have never been beaten by their rival in away Libertadores matches, with five wins and three draws in eight games.

This Wednesday’s clash also reinforces a historic milestone: Palmeiras and Cerro Porteño feature in the most frequently played international matchup in Libertadores history, with 16 games between the teams across the group stage and knockout rounds.

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