Palmeiras aim to avoid a first 2026 losing streak v Flamengo | OneFootball

Palmeiras face Flamengo this Saturday (21) in the Brazilian Championship, trying to avoid something that still has not happened this season: losing two matches in a row.

In the other three setbacks of 2026, Verdão always managed to respond immediately in the following match.

The 1-0 defeat to Cerro Porteño last Wednesday (20) in the Libertadores increased the pressure on Abel Ferreira’s team, ended a long unbeaten home run for the green-and-white side in the continental tournament, and helped deepen the crisis surrounding the club. (See more below).

Now they will face Flamengo, in a clash for the top spot in the Brazilian Championship—the same opponent involved in the club’s last run of two consecutive defeats.

That happened in November last year, when Palmeiras lost to Grêmio in the Brazilian Championship and then were beaten by Flamengo in the Libertadores final.

Now they meet the Rio side again in the same scenario, coming off a defeat.

Palmeiras sit at the top of the table with 35 points, four more than Flamengo, who have one game in hand over their rivals. The clash is one of the most anticipated of the first half of the season, as it is a direct battle between the leaders and the runners-up – kick-off is this Saturday (23) at 9 p.m. at the Maracanã.

Pressure grows behind the scenes

In addition to concerns on the pitch, Palmeiras are going through a turbulent moment off it.

After the defeat to Cerro Porteño, Mancha Alviverde, the club’s main organized supporters’ group, posted a statement on social media criticizing coach Abel Ferreira and explicitly calling for the Portuguese manager to leave.

The result against the Paraguayans also carried historical significance.

End of a historic unbeaten run

With the 1-0 loss to Cerro Porteño, Palmeiras saw a run of 28 home matches without defeat in the Libertadores come to an end.

The last home defeat had come on May 18, 2021, when Defensa y Justicia won 4-3, still in the group stage of that edition.

It had been 1,828 days unbeaten at Allianz Parque in the continental competition, with 19 wins and nine draws during that period.

In addition, the result made Palmeiras lose first place in Group F precisely to Cerro Porteño.

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