Sports Mole previews Wednesday’s Copa do Brasil clash between Palmeiras and Flamengo, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Needing a two-goal victory to have any hope of progressing at the Copa do Brasil, Palmeiras will host Flamengo on Wednesday at Allianz Parque in the second leg of that round of 16 tie.
A pair of second-half strikes from Mengao in the opening leg has them on the verge of an eighth successive trip to the last eight of this competition.
Match preview
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Palestra were slow out of the gate in the second half of this tie last week, leaving them in a hole heading into this decisive encounter.
That was their third successive away defeat at the Copa do Brasil and their biggest loss at this tournament since the round of 16 in 2013 (3-0 versus Athletico Paranaense).
Abel Ferreira‘s side enter this match on a four-game losing run across all competitions, without a victory in their last six encounters away from home.
Not since the 2015 semi-finals have they advanced from a Copa do Brasil tie after losing the opening leg, coming back to defeat Fluminense on that occasion and lifting the trophy later that year.
The last time they lost their opening leg at this tournament, Palmeiras were beaten 2-1 at home versus their arch-rivals Sao Paulo, who went on to win this competition in 2023.
Verdao are unbeaten in their previous five matches as the home team against Flamengo across all competitions, holding them to a 0-0 draw at Allianz Parque in Serie A action earlier this year.
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After a solid second half last week, Flamengo appear to be well on their way to another appearance in the quarter-finals of this tournament.
Urubu have not been knocked out at this stage of the competition since 2015 against Vasco da Gama (2-1 on aggregate), while they have not lost a round of 16 fixture at the Copa do Brasil since June 2022 (2-1 at Atletico Mineiro).
Tite‘s men have won two of their previous three away matches across all competitions, though they were beaten by Sao Paulo on Saturday 1-0 in the Brasileiro Serie A.
As a result, they are three points below Botafogo for first in the top-flight table, though the club from Rio do have a game in hand.
It has been over a decade since this side were eliminated from this competition after winning the opening leg, losing 4-1 to Atletico Mineiro in November 2014 and exiting that semi-final tie, 4-3 on aggregate.
Malvadao are unbeaten in their last four competitive matches against Palmeiras, but they have not beaten them at Allianz Parque since the 2021 Serie A season (3-1).
Palmeiras Copa do Brasil form:
Palmeiras form (all competitions):
Flamengo Copa do Brasil form:
Flamengo form (all competitions):
Team News
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In the opening leg of this tie, Palmeiras did not have Bruno Rodrigues or Joaquin Piquerez available because of knee injuries, with Estevao also out due to a sore ankle.
There were only four players that began their second-leg third-round fixture versus Serie B side Botafogo Futbol Clube that were in the starting 11 against Flamengo last week, Gustavo Gomez, Richard Rios, Ze Rafael and Raphael Veiga.
Nicolas de la Cruz is questionable for Flamengo because of a knee injury, as is Everton, who was replaced by Luiz Araujo in the first half last week after sustaining a hamstring strain.
A 57th-minute strike courtesy of Pedro turned the tie in their favour last week, with Evertton Araujo netting the insurance marker 17 minutes from the end.
Palmeiras possible starting lineup:
Weverton; Rocha, Reis, Gomez, Paulista; Rios, Moreno, Ze Rafael; Veiga, Dudu; Rony
Flamengo possible starting lineup:
Cunha; Varela, Bruno, Pereira, Ayrton; Pulgar; Gerson, Allan, de Arrascaeta, Barbosa; Pedro
We say: Palmeiras 1-0 Flamengo (Flamengo advances 2-1 on aggregate)
The deficit is manageable for Palestra, but we have difficulty believing a team as well-drilled and consistent as Mengao would crumble as they have not lost by multiple goals all year.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.