Palmeiras look to extend shutout run as new centre-back nears | OneFootball

Palmeiras takes the field this Sunday (26) against Red Bull Bragantino with a chance to match its longest run of games without conceding a goal this season.

Abel Ferreira’s team has kept clean sheets in its last two matches, against Athletico-PR and Jacuipense, and could make it three straight games with its defense unbeaten, matching the mark set at the start of the year.

On that occasion, Verdão beat Portuguesa, Santos, and Mirassol, all by 1-0 scorelines, in the Campeonato Paulista.

Rotation in defense

If it reaches that streak, the achievement will have one particular feature: it will have been accomplished with different defensive lineups, repeating the scenario from the start of the season.

In the first matches of the year, Palmeiras used three different center-back pairings:

In the current run:

Against Red Bull Bragantino, the defense will be made up of Gustavo Gómez and Bruno Fuchs, since Murilo is suspended after being sent off against Athletico-PR.

Reinforcement on the way

While seeking defensive solidity on the pitch, the club is also working behind the scenes to strengthen the position.

Palmeiras has made progress in the signing of center-back Alexander Barboza from Botafogo. The expectation is that the Argentine defender will join from the next transfer window, on July 20.

Verdão is expected to pay around US$ 4 million (approximately R$ 20 million) for his release. The deal now depends only on final formalities to be made official.

Barboza arrives with the status of one of Brazilian football’s recent standouts. With Botafogo, he won the Copa Libertadores and the Brasileirão in 2024 and has made 118 appearances, with four goals and four assists.

In the current Brasileirão edition, he has already played ten matches — within the new limit of 12 games allowed for transfers between clubs.

If confirmed, the center-back will face strong competition. Currently, Abel Ferreira has Gustavo Gómez, Murilo, Benedetti, and Bruno Fuchs available for the position.

The club is still monitoring the market and evaluating the possibility of signing another player, such as center-back Nino, formerly of Fluminense and currently at Zenit in Russia.

Palmeiras’ next match

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