Looking ahead to next season, a look back at Palmeiras’ slip-ups in 2025 | OneFootball

As December comes to a close, Palmeiras looks in the rearview mirror and sees a season full of conflicting emotions. While competitiveness led Abel Ferreira’s team to contest every trophy, a lack of precision and emotional imbalance turned the year into a painful sequence of “near misses.” For a fanbase accustomed to being on top, 2025 ends with the bitter taste of a missed opportunity.

The open wound in the Derbys

The greatest discomfort of the year lies not only in what was left unclaimed, but in who it was lost to. The record against Corinthians became a true ghost: in seven encounters, Alviverde came out victorious only once. Watching their biggest rival celebrate the Paulistão and Copa do Brasil titles, after eliminating Verdão along the way, left a deep scar. More than tactics, the defeat highlighted a loss of psychological dominance in the classics, something that had seemed unshakeable in previous years.

The curse of second place and the European ceiling

The “runner-up” label haunted the club in the major competitions. In the Brasileirão and Libertadores, Palmeiras stumbled against a more lethal Flamengo in decisive moments. On the international stage, the dream of the Club World Cup was once again cut short by a familiar foe: Chelsea. In the quarterfinals, the European barrier once again proved to be a step above the level of execution shown by the Brazilian team.

Poor repertoire and the addiction to “crosses”

Even with the arrival of a dozen new faces, attractive football was nowhere to be seen at Allianz Parque. The fans in the stands were relentless in their criticism of the team’s lack of creativity. In the absence of a “plan B” on the ground, Abel Ferreira’s Palmeiras systematically overused crosses into the box. The “chuveirinho” became the desperate resource for a squad that received hefty investments, but failed to translate reinforcements into collective progress or tactical variation.

Lessons for the future

The balance sheet for 2025 shows that, in elite football, signing in quantity does not replace the precision needed to fill specific gaps in the system. Palmeiras excelled in effort and financial backing, but lacked the “fine tuning” to convert their volume of play into trophies. For 2026, rebuilding requires more than new names; it means regaining defensive solidity and, above all, reclaiming the dominance on São Paulo’s pitches that was once their trademark.

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