Choque-Rei week: Palmeiras seek to extend run vs ex-São Paulo boss | OneFootball

In a week marked by classics between Palmeiras and São Paulo in the Brazilian Under-20 Championship last Monday (23), with a 3-3 draw, and a clash between the teams on Saturday (28) for the semifinal of the Paulista Championship in a single match, Verdão faces Fluminense this Wednesday (25) with coach Luis Zubeldia, former São Paulo coach, on the bench of the Rio team.

Abel Ferreira, however, has a good track record against the Argentine. Abel and Zubeldia have faced each other six times, five times with the opponent being São Paulo's coach and once as Fluminense's coach. In total, there were three draws and three victories for Abel.

Zubeldia praised Abel in September

Luis Zubeldía defended Abel Ferreira against the criticism the Portuguese has received for his work at Palmeiras. In an interview with the F90 program on ESPN Argentina, the coach stated that Abel should be treated as “a kind of God” for what he represents at the club.

This is not the first time Zubeldía has questioned the criticism directed at Abel Ferreira. In an interview with Bola da Vez on ESPN, he defended the Portuguese coach from the offenses suffered due to the 2024 campaign, a year in which Palmeiras only won the Paulista Championship.

Meeting for the leadership

The duel between Abel and Zubeldia and Palmeiras and Fluminense, this Wednesday (25), is also for the leadership of the Brazilian Championship. Verdão has seven points and appears in first place by tiebreaker criteria. The Rio Tricolor has the same score and occupies fourth place. São Paulo and Bahia also share the top of the table.

To try to stay on top, Palmeiras trained on the morning of this Tuesday (24), at the Football Academy. While defining the ideal lineup, the technical committee may have a new problem: Emiliano Martínez felt pain in his left calf and underwent treatment in the internal area of the Health and Performance Center. He is doubtful for the match.

The preparation will be concluded on Wednesday morning, a few hours before the ball rolls, focusing on set pieces and rehearsed plays.

The tendency is for the coach to maintain the base of the team that thrashed Capivariano last Saturday. The probable lineup is: Carlos Miguel; Khellven, Gustavo Gómez, Murilo, and Piquerez; Marlon Freitas, Andreas Pereira, Mauricio, and Allan; Flaco López and Vitor Roque.

The match is scheduled for 9:30 PM (Brasília time), at Arena Crefisa Barueri, for the fourth round of the Brasileirão.

Upcoming Palmeiras matches

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