Sao Paulo will host Palmeiras in the Copa do Brasil quarterfinals on Wednesday. The teams enter the final eight with a chance to progress to the semifinals of the cup competition.
Last season, Flamengo lifted the Copa do Brasil thanks to a win over Corinthians in the final. This season, both clubs are back in the quarterfinals. Can either Sao Paulo or Palmeiras reach the cup showpiece and lift the trophy?
Sao Paulo reached the quarterfinals thanks to a penalty shootout win in the round of 16 over Sport. The two-legged series ended with a score of 3-3. Sao Paulo held their nerve and prevailed in the shootout 5-3.
For Palmeiras, they had a slightly easier round of 16 fixture, winning 3-1 against Fortaleza on aggregate.
The quarterfinals of the Copa do Brasil, like the previous two rounds, are two-legged. A loss in the first match doesn’t mean the cup is over for either team.
Sao Paulo and Palmeiras have met twice this season already in league and state tournament matches.
The clubs drew nil-nil in their Paulista tournament fixture and five months later, Palmeiras picked up a 2-0 win in the Serie A.
The game was played at the Estadio Cicero Pompeu de Toledo, the site of this week’s cup quarterfinal first leg.
Palmeiras’s Gabriel Menino scored in the 11th minute to put the Big Green on top. With 12 minutes left on the clock, Endrick doubled Palmeiras’s lead.
The game saw six yellow cards and one sending-off. Pablo Maia of Sao Paulo got his marching orders in the 93rd minute thanks to a second yellow card.
Sao Paulo and Palmeiras’s last six games were divided into one win for O Clube da Fé, two draws, and two victories for the Verdão.
Palmeiras outscored Sao Paulo 6-3 in their six meetings. Three red cards were handed out and all three went to Sao Paulo.
Palmeiras’s form in Serie A has dipped. The Big Green are winless in three straight games.
However, they are unbeaten in four straight head-to-head meetings with Sao Paulo.
Sao Paulo’s form is up and down. They lost three of their last six matches in Serie A. Manager Dorvial Junior has a few injury worries ahead of the game. Alex Pato, Erison, and Jonathan Calleri are all expected to miss the game.
Sao Paulo’s form and injury problems could see them drop the first leg to Palmeiras. The Big Green should secure a narrow 1-0 win in the first leg. Fresh off a 2-2 draw in Serie A, Palmeiras should post a first-leg win.
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