Palmeiras gain momentum after losing to Corinthians and have a decisive duel with Flamengo in the Brasileirão

The comeback victory over Red Bull Bragantino , 2-1, away from home, confirmed Palmeiras ' good form this season. After suffering second place in the Paulistão against rival Corinthians , the team led by coach Abel Ferreira got into gear and shot to the top of the Campeonato Brasileiro . In the next round, the green and white team has a decisive duel with Flamengo , second in the league table.

Palmeiras has 22 points at the top of the Brasileirão. They have seven wins, one draw and one defeat, with an 81% success rate up to the ninth round. In addition, Palmeiras have won 13 of their last 15 matches .

The green and white team is four points ahead of Flamengo, which has 18, and can increase the gap to seven at the top of the Brazilian league if it wins the match against the team from Rio next Sunday, at Allianz Parque.

Without Gerson and Arrascaeta, Flamengo drew 0-0 in the derby with Botafogo this Sunday, at Maracanã, and saw the São Paulo team slip away. To make matters worse, coach Filipe Luís also lost midfielder De La Cruz to injury and saw the list of athletes in the medical department grow, which also includes Erick Pulgar, Allan, Matías Viña and Gonzalo Plata.

"I don't complain about the calendar because it's a privilege to have so many games. But when there's a long sequence and less than 72 hours to rest, it's not possible. But that's what all the coaches and all the teams in Brazil have to say. We're all in the same boat and we're just coming together to try to improve," commented Filipe Luís after the classic against Botafogo.

Unlike Flamengo, Palmeiras is going through the opposite situation with regard to the squad. With the exception of striker Bruno Rodrigues and defender Micael, the coaching staff has all the players available. To avoid burnout, coach Abel Ferreira has been rotating the squad, which has responded and maintained a high level of competitiveness.

In the victory over Bragantino, for example, forwards Paulinho and Vitor Roque were rested. Defender Murilo and midfielder Maurício, who were out due to injury until recently, secured the victory. "We knew we would have difficulty playing against a fresh team like Bragantino. We had difficulties in the first half, but in the end it was very good because of the work and resilience. When technique doesn't work, you have to rely on determination and sweat," said assistant João Martins.

The current form of both teams is also different when it comes to the Libertadores. While Palmeiras leads Group G with 15 points and has already secured the best campaign in the group stage, Flamengo arrives at the last round needing a win to secure qualification and runs the risk of losing the top spot in Group C. The team from Rio de Janeiro has eight points, while the modest Central Córdoba, from Argentina, leads the group with 11.

Flamengo defined the Brazilian Championship as its priority at the beginning of the season. Therefore, scoring points away from home against Palmeiras is considered crucial. On the other hand, the red-and-black team has not beaten the São Paulo team playing at Allianz Parque in six matches. The last time was in 2021, when the Rio de Janeiro team won 3-1.