Palmeiras (Brazil) vs Fluminense (Brazil)
SE Palmeiras took a huge step towards reaching their eighth Copa Libertadores final last Wednesday, defeating Fluminense 2-1 away with goals from José López and Marlon Freitas. They now need only a draw at home to advance. On Saturday, with some rotation introduced by head coach Abel Ferreira, O Verdão defeated Athletico Paranaense 2-0 away to remain second in the Brasileirao with 66 points from 31 matches, one behind leaders CR Flamengo. Palmeiras are unbeaten in their last five matches across all competitions, recording four wins and one draw. At home, they have also gone nine matches without defeat, winning seven and drawing two. Fluminense were outplayed by SE Palmeiras last Wednesday and ultimately lost 2-1 as hoosts at the Maracanã. They must now win in São Paulo if they are to reach the Copa Libertadores final for the third time in their history. On Sunday, with a largely rotated lineup, Marcão’s side lost 2-1 at home to Santos FC, dropping to fifth in the Brasileirao with 51 points from 31 matches. It was their third consecutive defeat across all competitions. Fluminense have also struggled on the road, winning only one of their last 15 away matches, alongside eight draws and six defeats. Palmeiras won the first leg at Rio de Janeiro and I expect them to advance to another final with a win. Fluminense has been terrible playing away lately, they will have to take risks and Palmeiras is a team that can take advantage of them.