Palmeiras take on the visitors Botafogo in the round of 1/8-finals of FIFA Club World Cup. The match will be played on Saturday, June 28th at Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, PA).
Palmeiras are determined to keep fighting. “Verdão,” under Abel Ferreira, have built an impressive trophy collection, including two Copa Libertadores and two Brazilian Serie A titles during his tenure. However, last season they clearly fell short in the race for the Brasileirão title. And the current campaign has been a mixed bag: while they delivered a perfect group stage in the Copa Libertadores — six wins from six — their domestic form has been more inconsistent. They lost the state championship final to Corinthians and haven’t looked much better than their main rivals in Serie A. Arriving at the Club World Cup, they started cautiously with a pragmatic 0-0 draw against Porto. After that, they earned a crucial 2-0 victory over Egyptian giants Al Ahly. In their third group match, they showed great character, coming back from 0-2 down to draw against Inter Miami — a result that secured their spot in the playoffs. Palmeiras’ ability to respond under pressure is a testament to their experienced squad, but concerns remain about their occasionally shaky defense.
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Botafogo is a club with both a passionate fanbase and serious ambition. While the heartbreak of losing the 2023 league title was tough, they responded perfectly by winning both the Brazilian Serie A and, for the first time in their history, the Copa Libertadores the following season. Yet, few could have predicted how quickly things would unravel. Head coach Artur Jorge became embroiled in a personal scandal, caught in an affair that overshadowed his professional duties and destabilized the club. This led to early failures in the Recopa Sudamericana and the Rio de Janeiro State Championship. However, the team gradually recovered, improving both in Serie A and securing a playoff spot in the Libertadores. Their Club World Cup run has been remarkable: solid wins over Seattle Sounders and even PSG demonstrated their resilience and quality. Despite a painful late collapse against Atlético Madrid, where they conceded in stoppage time, Botafogo did enough to advance from the group.
Palmeiras are winless in their last five matches against Botafogo. During this stretch, Botafogo have won three and drawn twice, establishing a psychological edge over their rivals. Palmeiras come into this match as the favorites on paper, but Botafogo are in excellent form and full of confidence. Backing the nominal visitors not to lose looks like a solid choice.
Prediction for the match: Botafogo not to lose (X2).
