Palmeiras fresher for Cruzeiro clash after rotating in Copa do Brasil | OneFootball

Palmeiras will face a fairly unusual situation this season when they take on Cruzeiro this Saturday (16) in the Brazilian Championship: their key players arrive well-rested after being rotated by Abel Ferreira in the Copa do Brasil.

In the 4-1 win over Jacuipense last Wednesday (13), the Palmeiras coach rested important names such as Carlos Miguel, Marlon Freitas, Flaco López, Andreas Pereira, and Ramon Sosa.

Other starters, such as Gustavo Gómez, Murilo, and Jhon Arias, played only a few minutes.

The strategy allowed Verdão to reduce physical wear and tear amid the team’s demanding run of matches this season.

Cruzeiro faces the opposite scenario

On the other side, Cruzeiro come in under pressure from a packed schedule. The Minas Gerais side was already in the middle of a grueling stretch and had to fight hard for qualification with their starters against Goiás on Tuesday (12) in the Copa do Brasil, and now face a decisive run away from home.

After the clash against Palmeiras, the team travel to Buenos Aires, where they will face Boca Juniors on Tuesday (19) in the Libertadores.

Palmeiras will also return to continental action in midweek. On Wednesday (20), they host Cerro Porteño at Allianz Parque in a direct battle for the top spot in the group.

Verdão are aiming to secure qualification early. The São Paulo side lead Libertadores Group F with eight points. Cerro are right behind with seven, followed by Sporting Cristal with six. Junior Barranquilla sit bottom with just one point.

In the Brasileirão, Palmeiras also sit top of the table, with 34 points from 15 matches. Flamengo are in second place with 30 points and a game in hand, meaning they could cut the gap to just one point.

Cruzeiro, meanwhile, are in 11th place with 19 points and are recovering after a poor start.

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