Abel under pressure for Choque-Rei, faces Palmeiras’ toughest rival | OneFootball

Palmeiras faces São Paulo this Saturday at 6:30 PM at Arena Barueri for the Campeonato Paulista, and the match carries special significance for Abel Ferreira. Since arriving at the club in October 2020, the Portuguese coach has built dominant numbers against state rivals — but Tricolor is the exception.

Stone in the Shoe

In 25 derbies, Abel has 9 wins, 10 draws, and 6 losses, with an average of 1.48 points per game. This is the worst record the Portuguese coach has against the main state rivals.

The comparison with Corinthians and Santos makes this scenario even more evident. Against Timão, for example, Abel has 1.52 PPG in 21 matches (8 wins, 8 draws, 5 losses). Against Santos, his performance is overwhelmingly positive: 11 wins and 3 losses in 14 games, reaching 2.36 PPG, the best among the derbies.

Pressure mounts on the eve of the derby

In addition to the unfavorable record, the match comes at a moment of instability for the Palmeiras coach. The 4-0 defeat to Novorizontino last Tuesday marked the biggest loss for Palmeiras under his command, increasing the pressure.

The fans’ reaction was swift: on Wednesday, the wall of Allianz Parque was found spray-painted with the phrase “Abel, has the magic ended?”, a direct message to the coach.

The derby as a thermometer

In recent seasons, Abel Ferreira has used derbies as a stage to bounce back during moments of pressure. Now, however, he faces precisely the opponent who has historically troubled him the most. São Paulo also arrives in a delicate moment after losing at home to Portuguesa 3-2 in the last round.

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