Palmeiras v Flamengo in final? Don’t rule out their semi-final rivals | OneFootball

Palmeiras was the team that scored the most goals in the round of 16 and quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores. They scored four times against Universitario and another five against River Plate. They are the only undefeated team in the competition so far, but this good run doesn’t mean they’ll have an easy time in the semifinals.

LDU is playing a sort of Brazilian Championship in this edition of the continental tournament. They finished first in a group alongside Flamengo and overcame Botafogo and São Paulo, respectively. They have only two losses, both in Rio de Janeiro. Champions of the 2023 Copa Sudamericana, the Ecuadorian team beat Fortaleza in the final.

Palmeiras’ challenge goes beyond the altitude of Quito. Even with all the favoritism due to what Abel Ferreira’s team has accomplished, especially in the Libertadores, it will be a tough match against a team that has succeeded against Brazilian sides, and is coached by Tiago Nunes. For the superstitious, it was Tiago who managed Botafogo at the end of 2023, when Alviverde secured their second consecutive championship.

On the other side of the bracket, Flamengo faced more difficulties than expected against Estudiantes and will now play Racing, currently the best Argentine team (even more so than River). They are another team that has had the upper hand in direct clashes against Brazilian teams. As the current Sudamericana champions, they knocked out Athletico-PR, Corinthians, and Cruzeiro from the quarterfinals up to last year’s title. In 2025, they dominated the Recopa against Botafogo.

To anticipate another all-Brazilian final, repeating 2021, is to ignore those still in the competition. The matchup that almost happened again in 2022, when Palmeiras fell in the semis, has a good chance of happening, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

Upcoming Palmeiras Matches

Bahia vs Palmeiras – Brasileirão – 09/28 (Sunday), 4pm (Brasília time)Palmeiras vs Vasco – Brasileirão – 10/01 (Wednesday), 7pm (Brasília time)São Paulo vs Palmeiras – Brasileirão – 10/05 (Sunday), 4pm (Brasília time)

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